Mockingjay: The Alternate Story
by avij14
Summary: We pick back up in District 13. The rebellion is underway, but how will we survive through the war, hardship, and heartbreak? How will Panem survive? My name is Aviana Jennison and Katniss Everdeen and I are the Mockingjays.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! So, finally, after waiting so long, I finally can start posting the chapters for Mockingjay: The Alternate Story! I had just gotten burned out on writing for a really long time, and I tried to start some other projects too. Not to mention that real life has been crazy! But I am starting to post now!**

 **If you have not read my original story, I would suggest you take a minute to read that now. Or even if you have, I would take a minute to reread it ;)**

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Chapter 1

District 13. I would have never thought it still existed. But there I was, in the underground district, going to meet with their president; President Alma Coin. Katniss and I were being escorted by a colonel within the district named Boggs.

Stepping off an elevator, Boggs lead the way through a crowd of people, and then up a set of stairs. He then opened a door, leading into a conference room. "There they are!" I heard a voice say. I looked up and saw the head game maker, Plutarch Heavansbee walking towards us, preceded by a woman. "Our Girl on Fire and our Burning Ember! Madam President, may I present to you, our Mockingjays."

The woman, President Coin, walked forward and shook first Katniss's hand, then mine, "It's an honor to meet you both. You are courageous young women, even simply for surviving what you both have gone through. I can't imagine living through the atrocities of those Games. I hope you both know how welcome you are here, and I hope you find comfort with us. We've known loss in 13 too."

"This is history," Plutarch said, "sitting right here at this table."

"Please have a seat," President Coin said as she sat down. "I apologize for everything happening so quickly, and I know you probably are disoriented. But this was the only way we could ensure your safety."

"Do you know if there is a possible remnant that made it out of 12 alive?" I asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

Coin nodded, "Our tech team had found some sort of life moving our way and out of District 12. We sent out a hovercraft to investigate, and confirmed that it was a mass of people who had made it out alive. Our team estimated them to be anywhere between 800-900 people. However, we don't know any of the individuals, and won't be able to identify them until they are brought here." I nodded, satisfied with her answer.

"Now," Coin said, changing the subject, "about the rebellion. Do either of you girls know what has happened in the districts?"

"I have an idea," I replied.

"Seven of the now eleven districts have been having uprisings consistently, and there is a small rebel force in two others. All thanks to your defiance of the Capitol, and, of course, what happened to Danielle in these past Games." I looked down briefly as Katniss gently squeezed my hand. "I need you both to join this team, because if we let this rebellion dissipate, we could be waiting another 75 years for this opportunity."

Plutarch spoke up, "The Capitol has always suppressed communication between the districts, but the tech team here, who you both will meet soon, has broken through their system. We just need a message, a message only you two can send. You need to tell the districts that you both are ready to join this fight. We will be shooting a series of propaganda clips, 'propos' as I like to call them, to spread the word that we will stoke the fire of this rebellion; the fire that the Mockingjays started."

"We need a voice," Coin said. "Would you two be willing to be that voice?"

I looked down and took a deep breath, "I need to see if my family is alive before I say yes to anything. This has all been so rushed. I need to know if they are alive or not, and I need closure before I can commit to something like this." I looked over at Coin, "Let me assure you, I want to join this fight. But I need to know first. And I need closure; I need to see District 12."

Katniss looked at me like I was crazy. Coin started to argue, but Plutarch interjected. "Ok," he said. "I would like to wait a week to send you for safety reasons, but after a week, it'll be whenever you are ready."

Katniss finally spoke up, "I would like to go home too. I'd like to go with her. And I too need to know that my family is alive."

"Well then," Coin said. "Once you have made executive decisions, please feel free to come back and meet with me." Katniss and I nodded as we left the room, escorted by Boggs to where our living quarters were. They were near each other, and we each had our own compartment set aside, in case any of our families were alive. Until then, Katniss and Peeta both agreed to stay with me until I knew what had become of my family.

We had been told by Boggs that Haymitch was being sent to a facility to sober up, as there was a prohibition in District 13. Effie was located in a compartment a couple floors below us, but we opted to wait a few days before visiting her.

The next day was when the team had arrived back with everyone who had escaped from 12. Everyone was slowly being identified and registered as a citizen of District 13. Katniss, Peeta, and I all sat in wait for a little while in District 13's main plaza, waiting to see someone we recognized. It remained quite empty for a little while, until the swarm of people from District 12 began to filter in. Katniss stood up, and Peeta and I followed her, making our way through the swarms of people, trying to catch a glimpse of any of our loved ones.

Katniss stopped dead in her tracks briefly. I stood there, looking puzzled, before she shouted, "Gale!" and ran up to a tall, brown-haired man. It was Gale Hawthorne, Katniss's best friend and hunting partner. She hugged him, and he accepted the embrace, and he held her tight for a few seconds. Katniss pulled away and looked up at Gale asking, "Do you know about any of the others?"

"Well," Gale began, "I know for a fact that your mother and Prim are alive; I personally got them out myself. Prim ran back and got a small family before we took off, but I don't know who they were, nor did I really recognize any of the other escapees that came with us."

Katniss breathed a small sigh of relief to hear that her family was alive. "Where are they?" she asked Gale.

"I don't think they have been registered yet," Gale informed. "They have to identify you and register you as a citizen of District 13 before they'll let you enter. The officials will send them to your living quarters, since they ask if you have any loved ones living here, and they'll either assign them to the same living quarters as you, or their own, depending on the situation. Either way, they'll inform them of where you're living. You should probably wait for them there."

Katniss hugged Gale again. "Thank you," she said. She looked at us and said, "I'll meet up with you guys later on today." And with that, she took off towards her compartment.

Gale sighed. "You guys should probably head to your living quarters too," he said. "That's the best way to see if your families are alive. And they should announce when everyone is registered, that way you'll know that if they haven't come…"

I simply nodded and thanked Gale as Peeta and I walked towards my compartment, as Peeta didn't want to leave me to wait alone, and his compartment was nearby anyway. He stopped to leave a note on his door as to where he was, just in case, anyway.

Towards the end of the day, almost all the survivors of 12 had been identified, and I began feeling dread sink in. I waited patiently until the announcement that all the survivors had been identified, praying that there would be a knock on my door beforehand.

But then the knock came. I ran to the door and opened it, revealing a very tired Ms. Robin, Klarissa, and a cranky little Bri. I breathed a sigh of relief as happy tears began to fall down my cheeks.

"I'm so glad you guys are ok," I said, hugging Ms. Robin.

"We're glad that _you're_ ok!" Ms. Robin said, giving a light kiss on the top of my head. She smiled at me as Klarissa hugged me, sobbing in relief.

"I've missed you," she said simply. I gave her a gentle squeeze before I pulled her away and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Hey," I said, giving her a smile, "I'm right here. Everything is going to be ok." She gave me a smile and another hug.

"Eeta! Eeta," Bri screamed as she ran towards Peeta, arms open wide. Peeta scooped her up and held her close as she smiled and giggled.

"I see how it is, little stinker," I said, walking over to Peeta and rubbing Bri's back. "You go to Peeta before you decide to come to me. The one who has been worried sick about you!"

"What can I say?" Peeta said smiling. "She loves me." I shook my head as Bri saw me, and reached her hands out towards me. I took her from Peeta and held her close, before she pulled away and gave me a kiss before cuddling back up on my chest.

"Ok, you're a suck up," I said smiling, placing a kiss on top of Bri's head. I said a silent prayer of thanks as I looked back over at Klarissa and Ms. Robin. I was so very thankful that they were alive.

I started to walk over to Katniss's compartment with Bri, to tell her the good news, when I heard the announcement; everyone had been registered. I looked over at Peeta. His family was dead.

I handed Bri off to Klarissa and walked over to Peeta and hugged him. "I'm so sorry," I said. I knew that his mother had hated him, but he never hated her. I knew his brothers had always picked on him, but I ultimately knew that they loved him. And I knew his father loved him and actually treated him like a son should be treated, and was the only real parent Peeta had. I knew that this had hit hard on him, and so I let him sit there and cry on my shoulder. And when he said that he was coming with us to District 12, I didn't question him. He needed the closure, and who was I to deny him of that?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The following week, Katniss, Peeta, and I loaded up onto a hovercraft and flew out to District 12. Once we began approaching the district, we stood up and held on to handles in the roof of the hovercraft, waiting for the door to open and for us to exit off. Once the hovercraft had flown away, I looked on in horror at what was surrounding me.

There wasn't a building in sight that was intact. Everything was rubble around us. Houses, businesses, markets, government buildings, all leveled to the ground. We slowly began walking around, climbing up a heap of rubble to look out over the district.

I heard a crunch, as did Katniss and Peeta. Katniss lifted her foot, revealing a human skull underneath. She covered her mouth and began shaking, before making it to the top of the mound. I reached the top of the hill as Katniss fell to her knees. I started to ask what was wrong before I looked out and saw. There were heaps of scorched bodies. Tears began streaming down my face as Katniss began to crawl away, visibly shaking.

I turned around to see Peeta no longer with us. I began scanning the district, before my eyes landed where Peeta was; where the bakery once stood. And not too far away, his family's home lay in ruin. Katniss made her way back towards the Victors Village, and I made my way toward Peeta.

He was sobbing when I found him. I felt a tear trail down my cheek as I placed a hand on his shoulder. He hardly flinched. I knelt down next to him, looking over at him; his eyes puffy and red. He shook his head, simply muttering, "He will pay." I stayed there with him until the hovercraft, with Katniss already on board, picked us up, and we headed back to District 13.

The very next day, Katniss and I asked to meet with President Coin. After lunch, we made our way towards the conference room, arriving before she did. We sat down and patiently waited for her to join us.

Once she entered the room, she didn't even have a chance to sit down before Katniss and I both said, "Yes," in unison.

"Well," Coin began, "I'm glad to see you both have made your decision." She glanced at the time before saying, "Come with me, I'd like to show you a few of the leaders of our rebellion here in 13." She led the way, first towards the headquarters of 13. There, she led us into a small room full of computers. Only a few people were in there, and only two on the computers. One seemingly very familiar…

"I'd like to introduce you to our tech team," Coin said. "It's kind of small, but we only have a few qualified individuals." She led us to the first desk, where a middle-aged man sat. "This is Beetee. He was actually in the Hunger Games himself once. His skills in technology impressed the Capitol so much, that they took him on as part of their team. He created many of the systems the Capitol uses on a day to day basis."

"It's an honor to meet both of you," Beetee said, giving us a warm smile.

Coin pointed to the second desk where a young man of around my age sat. "This is Beetee's intern, Jacob. He-"

"Jacob!?" I said wide-eyed. When he turned toward me, all suspicions were proven true. One of my long lost friends, Jacob Kilgore, was sitting just feet away from me. A friend I hadn't seen in years. Five years ago, the Capitol decided to go through different districts to see the potential in some of the children in the poorer districts to move to a higher up district, if they had the skills to work there. Jacob, with his adeptness at computers, was among the ones chosen to move from District 12. He, personally, was sent to District 3, and I had never seen him since that day.

He looked at me for a second, and his eyes widened, before giving me a smile. "Don't get offended," he began, "but when they said we were meeting the Mockingjays today, I did not expect to see you walk through the door." Before I could say anything, he added, "But I'm not disappointed."

I smiled at him before walking over to him and giving him a quick hug. "I have missed you, jerk." He gave me a look before smiling again.

"I know you probably have work to do now," he began. "But why don't we meet up tonight after dinner. We can meet in my compartment, and just catch up, you know?"

I nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me!" He gave me directions to his compartment, and I walked out with Katniss and Coin.

"Once the rebellion started picking up," Coin said as she began leading us towards the compartments, "we decided to contact many of the former victors, the ones we knew were on our side. Several decided to join us, Beetee being one of them. Two of them also brought along someone with them to join the cause, and I'd like you to meet them all. First being Finnick Odair, and his fiancée, Annie Cresta." Coin paused in front of a door, gently knocking on it before it was opened by a muscular man I presumed to be Finnick.

"Good afternoon, Finnick and Annie," Coin said as Annie joined Finnick at the door. "I'd like you to meet the Mockingjays."

"Well, it's nice to meet you two lovely ladies," Finnick said.

"It is an honor to meet you and have the opportunity to work alongside you both," Annie said, before giving Finnick a look after his comment. "We hope to see you soon!" she added as they waved goodbye to us and we walked away. Coin lead us upstairs to another compartment and knocked on the door. The door was opened by Johanna Mason, one of the few victors I actually remember watching and seeing on tour.

"You must be our Mockingjays," Johanna said, giving a small smile. "Coin has been ranting about you guys being here for the past week now. It's about time she showed you off." She winked at us before calling behind her, "Hey Morganne! Come say hi to Coin's prized possessions."

 _Morganne?_ I thought to myself. I had already reunited with Jacob that day, surely it wouldn't be a double reunion. Before I could go on arguing with myself, Morganne appeared at the door, and despite my disbelief, my second long lost friend stood before me.

"Avi?" Morganne asked surprised. Like Jacob, Morganne had been moved from my district, a year after Jacob had. However, unlike Jacob, the reason for Morganne leaving was due to her rebellious nature, and her refusal to abide by the rules. As she was only 14 at the time, they wouldn't have even thought of executing her. Instead, she was moved to District 7. I hadn't seen her since.

"It's me Morganne," I said, almost as shocked as she was. Though Morganne is not typically a hugger, she ran over and threw her arms around me in a bear hug.

"How are you here?" she asked. "How have you been? How has everyone else been?"

"Whoa," I said, a bit overwhelmed. "Slow down on the questions. Jacob and I had made plans to meet up tonight after dinner at his compartment and catch up. Why don't you just join us?"

"Sounds great!" Morganne said as she darted back inside her and Johanna's compartment. Coin then said something about when the first propo shoot would take place, then released us to go about the rest of our afternoon.

Dinner came and ended. Shortly thereafter, I headed over to Jacob's compartment. I gently knocked on the door, and after a couple of seconds, he opened it, Morganne already there. "Come on in," he said, holding the door open for me. He closed the door behind me and said, "Make yourself at home. Well, as at home you can be in this place."

I went over and sat down on a small couch next to Morganne as Jacob sat on his bed. I looked at both of them, before taking a deep breath and said, "Why don't you guys go first? How have things been with you both?"

"Well," Jacob began, "things haven't been too interesting. Once I was moved to District 3, the officials there began training me in different computer systems and whatnot. When I was showing real potential, they had me intern under several people. They had to keep finding a new mentor for me as I would always surpass the previous one. Finally, I began mentoring under Beetee. He is the only mentor I have yet to surpass. Then the rest is just computer stuff that would make no sense to you guys."

"What about you, Morganne?" I asked.

"Well," Morganne began, "I wasn't quite the perfect teenager to say the least. When I moved to District 7, they put me in this school that was known for its trouble makers. As bad as they thought I was in 12, I was nothing compared to the majority of the kids at this school. I thought I was going to be eaten alive. But then I met Johanna, who was more rebellious than a trouble maker. She had been misunderstood, like I had been, and we became friends. She was half way through her junior year, and I was a freshman. But we grew close and she would look out for me. Then, of course, she was chosen as a tribute for the Hunger Games. But even after she won, she still looked out for me like a little sister. And when Snow killed her family, I became all she had left. And she welcomed me into her home, and I've lived with her ever since."

I nodded sadly, somewhat understanding what Johanna had gone through. My thoughts were interrupted when Jacob said, "Alright Avi, it's your turn."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. This wouldn't be a walk in the park, that's for sure. "I don't know how much you guys already know," I began. "Everything had pretty much just been the same in 12 for a little while after you guys left. But then, shortly before the 74th Hunger Games, my parents were killed in a house fire, leaving me and my recently adopted sister, Bri, to fend for ourselves."

Morganne gasped, "I didn't know you had a new sister! How old is she?"

"She's almost two now," I replied. "She was just a month old when my parents were killed."

"I'm going to have to meet her!" Morganne said excited. "But sorry for interrupting. Go ahead and continue."

"After Bri and I were orphaned, Ms. Robin took us in, and we lived with her, Danielle, and Klarissa. Then, as you guys may know, Peeta was reaped for the 74th Hunger Games. But he survived, along with Katniss of course." I paused, took a deep breath and asked, "Did either of you hear about the 75th Games?"

Morganne shook her head as Jacob said, "I knew the tributes had to pick a sibling, but that's all I know."

"And you should know that I don't watch that crap," Morganne stated.

"Well," I said, my voice beginning to strain, "I was the female tribute chosen from District 12. And I had to choose a sister, and between Danielle, Klarissa, and Bri…"

"You chose Danielle," Morganne finished for me. I nodded before she asked, "Well two victors were crowned for the 74th Games. Surely you both were these Games."

I shook my head. "They would have forced us to kill each other had it come down to just me and her. But we didn't have to make that kind of decision. There were three of us remaining, the boy from District 1, Danielle, and me. He attacked us and threw a spear. I killed him with an arrow…b-but the spear hit Danielle. And…a-and Danielle died a few minutes later from her injuries." My voice got quiet as I hung my head, furiously blinking back tears.

"Danielle's dead?" Morganne asked, and I simply nodded, my head still lowered and my hair hanging over my face. I suddenly felt her arms around me as I hugged her back, still trying to hold the tears in. Then I looked up at Jacob, whose eyes were red, and he stood up and walked away, and my tears began to fall.

Though Jacob apologized to us, he wanted to be alone to comprehend the news. Morganne offered for me to stay with her and Johanna for the night, an offer I gratefully took. But it wouldn't be long before my world would be shaken again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Within the days to come, we began shooting propos with Plutarch and Effie. Katniss didn't take to the acting aspect well, but I did. Therefore, they mostly focused on filming me, and having me star in the propos.

However, though the team thought the propos were decent, the reception of them weren't great. Though there was an increase in the rebel force, it was very small and many people began to lose heart. Something had to change for this rebellion to work.

That's when Haymitch called a meeting. He sat the entire propo team down, along with Boggs, Beetee, Jacob, and Peeta, to discuss options for these propos to change for the better.

We reviewed our latest propo on the big screen in the conference room. Haymitch stood up and said, "Madam President, indulge me, for a moment. I'd like you all to think of once instance when Katniss Everdeen or Aviana Jennison genuinely moved you. Not when you were jealous of their hair, or their dresses were on fire, or when Peeta or Danielle made you like them. No, I'd like you to think of one moment where either of them made you feel something real."

Effie raised her hand and said, "When Katniss volunteered for her sister."

"Excellent example," Haymitch said as he began to wipe away information for the propo on the board. "Hope that wasn't important," he said as he wrote down Effie's example. "What else?"

Effie raised her hand again and said, "When Katniss sang that song, for little Rue."

"Oh yeah," Haymitch said, beginning to write that down, "who didn't get choked up at that." He turned to Effie and said, "You know Effie, I like you better without all that makeup."

"Well, I like you better sober," she added. He glared back at her as he turned back to the board.

"When Katniss chose Rue for an ally as well," Beetee added.

"Very good," Haymitch said. "But what about Avi?"

"Well," Peeta began, "though Danielle did give us the image many people know her as today, it's her emotion that was tied into Danielle that allowed for that image. Danielle's death was moving because of how Avi reacted and the emotion behind it. It's Avi's emotion behind her actions that moves people."

"Excellent way of putting it, Peeta," Haymitch said. He turned to the rest of the group and said, "Now, what do all these have in common?"

"No one told them what to do," Jacob said.

"Unscripted, yes," Beetee added. "So maybe we should just leave them alone."

"And wash their faces," Boggs said. "They're still girls, and you made them look 35."

"The opportunities for spontaneity are obviously lacking below ground," Plutarch said. "So what you're suggesting is that we toss them into combat?"

"I cannot sanction putting two untrained civilians into battle just for effect," Coin said. "This is not the Capitol."

"That is exactly what I'm suggesting," Haymitch said. "Put them in the field."  
"We can't protect them," Coin said.

"It has to come from them," Haymitch argued, "that's what people respond to. You want symbols for the revolution, it's not something you can simply coach them into doing. You can't train Katniss to do something so fake on camera, and so unlike her and expect the people to respond positively. You cannot coach Aviana into having true emotion behind something so fake and clearly set up and expect the people to feel emotion from that. The girl can act, but no one can produce true emotions behind a memorized, cheesy line."

"Maybe there is someplace that is less dangerous?" Plutarch suggested.

"We could locate less dangerous areas," Beetee said. "But you could always start with doing a propo in District 12 talking about the bombings. The Capitol has no interest in monitoring 12 anymore."

"We can't guarantee their safety," Coin stated.

"You'll never be able to guarantee our safety," Katniss said.

"The Capitol hates us," I added. "They want us dead, and no matter what you do, they will try to kill us, and they certainly have the means to do so."

"And what if you are killed?" Coin asked.

"Make sure you get it on camera," Katniss and I said in unison.

Coin shook her head and said, "Send them to 12. Plutarch, get a directing team assembled." Plutarch nodded and the meeting was dismissed.

So it was settled, Plutarch worked on finding a perfect film crew. Beetee and Jacob began working on formulating weapons for Katniss and I; not only for props as the ones we had used before, but also for defense if need be. Weapons and suits were designed for Peeta, along with extras for any new recruits to the team. And finally, our first destination was chosen; District 12.

On our first day, we loaded up in our rebel suits, designed to look like a Mockingjay, but also to protect us. We were given our new and improved bows and arrows and were sent off to meet up with Peeta and Klarissa at the hovercraft. Once there, Plutarch greeted us and began to introduce us to our film crew.

Plutarch first pointed to a young woman with blonde hair. "This is Cressida," Plutarch said chuckling. "She's in my opinion one of the best up and coming directors out there."

"Then I up and left!" Cressida said smiling. "Nice to meet you Katniss and Avi. Behind me is my assistant, Aly." She pointed to a girl a little older than me with medium length, brown/blonde hair.

"It's such an honor to meet you!" Aly said shaking my hand and then Katniss's.

"Then we have your camera women behind me; Logan and Haley." They both nodded at Katniss and I as Boggs told us to strap in.

"Are you all from the Capitol?" Katniss asked Haley.

"Don't expect much conversation from her," Cressida said. "She's an avox, the Capitol cut her tongue out years ago. And no, this wasn't any sort of rescue mission. We all fled on our own for this rebellion." I nodded as the hovercraft took off and we made our way to District 12.

Klarissa joined us on this propo, being Danielle's sister, and someone who could recount the events of that fateful night in 12. I was worried that she wouldn't be able to handle it, but she took it all in stride. I believe I was more scared for her than she was. And even upon seeing the ruins, she remained strong and collected.

We started at the Victors' Village, where that fateful night began for Klarissa. She stood by our house and said, "It was a normal night. I was giving Bri some milk, trying to get her to sleep and Mom was washing the dishes. I heard a knock on my door, and Prim was standing there, yelling that we needed to get out of here and follow her. The franticness in her voice didn't allow for question, so, with Bri in tow, Mom and I followed Prim." Klarissa stood up and walked back towards the main center of the district. She stopped and continued to speak, "We were met with a huge sea of people, desperately trying to make their way out of the district. Prim grabbed my hand and Mom and I jumped in, Bri crying in all the chaos. We began running as hovercrafts flew over. We began heading for the road, just barely making it out before the bombs hit. Though we were a safe distance away, you could feel the earth shake, see the fire, smell the smoke and destruction. We didn't have time to dwell, as we were lead away from the district towards District 13." She had walked over to the mound where the bodies were below. With a tear falling down her face, she said, "900 people made it out, but there was 10,000 people that lived here. Less than a tenth made it out alive, and the rest were ruthlessly murdered, at the command of President Snow. He killed my sister, and now, he has destroyed my home."

We cut the film and headed down to the meadow for lunch, a place that holds many memories for Katniss, and was left relatively untouched by the bombs. As we ate, a few Mockingjays began to fly around us. One landed next to Katniss, as I looked over at Haley, who signed to Katniss, asking her to sing.

Katniss took a deep breath, looking around before beginning:

 _Are you, are you, coming to the tree?_

 _Where they strung up a man, they say who murdered three._

 _Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

 _If we met at midnight in that hanging tree._

We listened as the mockingjays around her continued to sing the song Katniss had begun. Cressida had begun filming this, and Katniss continued.

 _Are you, are you, coming to the tree?_

 _Where dead man called out, for his love to flee._

 _Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

 _If we met at midnight in that hanging tree._

We loaded up onto the hovercraft and we made our way back towards the Capitol. Once there, Cressida handed off the film to Plutarch, who then went and edited the footage, adding Katniss's voice, plus the accompanying mockingjays, in the in between parts of Klarissa's story. Once it was done, it was sent off to be played in all the districts.

 _Are you, are you, coming to the tree?_

 _Wear a necklace of hope side by side with me._

 _Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

 _If we met at midnight in the hanging tree._

The impact it had on the districts was profound. You suddenly heard of more and more uprisings, and the beginnings of rebel groups in the few districts that didn't have any. It wasn't over yet, but the waters for war had begun to simmer.

 _Are you, are you, coming to the tree?_

 _Where I told you to run, so we'd both be free._

 _Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

 _If we met at midnight in the hanging tree._

Coin was even thoroughly impressed at how well the districts took this propo, and was prepared to do another one. A meeting was called with Plutarch, Beetee, and Haymitch to discuss the next location.

 _Are you, are you, coming to the tree?_

 _Where they strung up a man, they say who murdered three._

 _Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

 _If we met at midnight in that hanging tree._

It was decided. District 8, where the Capitol had recently bombed heavily due to their uprisings. The district hadn't been laid in ruin, but there were many injured and wounded there. And Beetee believed that there would no longer be military targets there.

 _Are you, are you, coming to the tree?_

 _Where dead man called out for his love to flee._

 _Strange things did happen here, no stranger would it be,_

 _If we met at midnight in the hanging tree._

This mission was different. This time it was just Peeta, Katniss, and I, along with Cressida and her crew. Boggs joined us as well for protection and to keep an ear out for Capitol activity, as District 8 had been bombed recently. Once arriving, we met up with Commander Paylor, and were lead to this makeshift hospital.

"If you two," Commander Paylor said as she pointed to Katniss and I, "can give those wounded any hope, I will be forever grateful." We nodded as we walked in, looking in shock at all the people there in horrible conditions.

Katniss and I began walking through the hospital. We stopped when we heard a soft voice say, "Katniss Everdeen? Aviana Jennison? What are you doing here?" We turned to look at a young girl, bandages all over her.

"We came to see you," Katniss answered.

"We're so sorry about Danielle, Aviana," another person said. "We know she meant a lot to you."

I nodded and responded, "Thank you."

"Are you here to fight with us?" a young man said, standing with a crutch.

"I am," Katniss said.

"We _will_ ," I said with emphasis. Then every single person in that room pressed three fingers to their lips and held their hands in the air. I was overwhelmed by this gesture. Soon we were lead out of the hospital.

"Your mothers are going to be so proud of you when they see this footage," Cressida said as we walked out.

"We've got a problem," Boggs said. "Incoming bombers from the north. We need to take cover now." Paylor lead us to a bunker a little ways away, but Katniss stayed behind, watching the bomber circle around. "Everdeen!" Boggs yelled. "Get in here!" Peeta started to run after her but was stopped as the bomber began shooting. Katniss took off running, and when I emerged from the building, I couldn't find her. But before I could take off to find her, I was blown back from an explosion. Peeta rushed over to help me up, and I quickly assessed myself and saw that I was not injured.

I looked up to see that the bomb had hit the hospital, leaving it destroyed and on fire. And I knew that no one had survived. I was grief stricken. "Avi, is there anything you would like to say?" I heard Cressida ask as she pointed to Haley with her camera mask.

I nodded. "Citizens of Panem, I want you to know what this Capitol, which claims they care for you and take care of you has done here in District 8. They have bombed a hospital, full of unarmed, _wounded_ people. There were _children_ in that hospital that this Capitol ruthlessly and needlessly murdered. This is the Capitol you bow down to. This is what they do!" I turned around to see Logan with his camera mask. I continued, "President Snow, I want you to know this. You can torture us, bomb us, and burn our districts to the ground! But do you see that?" I pointed at the fire behind me. "Fire is catching. And if we burn, YOU BURN WITH US!"

Before anyone could do anything else, another bomber began approaching, attempting to shoot us. Peeta lunged over me, protecting me with his body, when the shots suddenly stopped. I heard a crash, but even after Peeta stood up, I was almost too in shock to move.

But that's when I heard Peeta scream. "Katniss, NO!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I jumped up just in time to see a huge pillar crashing on top of the building Katniss was standing on top of. She had darted out of the way, but in her desperate attempt to escape, became caught up in the collapsing building. The last I saw of Katniss was her falling into the crater in the middle of the building, created by the pillar, and building debris falling down on top of her, burying her.

The next few seconds were almost a blur. I remember Peeta rushing over to the building once the dust had settled, and I was hot on his heels. I remember the others coming to help, as we desperately searched for any sign of Katniss. I could see tears falling down Peeta's face. I could hear him murmur, "Katniss, please still be alive."

I continued to desperately move bricks and broken concrete. I knew she had to be in there somewhere. I moved another brick, and froze at what I saw; Katniss's hand. "I-I found her," I choked, just loud enough for the others to hear. They all swarmed over and helped unbury Katniss. She wasn't a pretty sight when she was uncovered.

She lay sprawled over the debris. It appeared that at least her leg was broken; and there was the definite possibility of her back being broken. She was covered in blood, cuts and bruises littered her visible body, her suit torn, bow and arrows destroyed. Her eyes were closed, and based on her injuries and trauma, I was afraid of the news Boggs would deliver as he gently placed two fingers on her neck.

He held his fingers there for a few seconds, moving them to different locations on her neck. My heart had begun to sink as Boggs grabbed his radio. "Command, come in Command," he said into the radio, with unexpected urgency.

"Boggs, this is Beetee," I heard Beetee's voice crackle over the radio. "What's the situation?"

"There's been a problem here," Boggs said. "I need the hovercraft to get here immediately, with whatever medical team and supplies that can come with it. And I need a medical team ready in 13 for when we arrive. We have a Code Red Mockingjay."

"Code Red?" I asked puzzled. "Shouldn't it be a Code Black? Isn't she-"

"She's got a pulse," Boggs said. "This is a medical emergency." I looked over at Peeta, who as just as shocked as I was. He gently took Katniss's wrist and felt for a pulse himself, and sure enough, though faint, it was there.

Peeta began to cry tears of relief, as he gently bent down and kissed, first Katniss's hand, and then her forehead. "Just stay with me Katniss," he whispered to her. "Help is on the way. Just hang in there."

The hovercraft arrived within minutes, a couple of men dismounting with a stretcher. Katniss was carefully loaded onto the stretcher and strapped on. Boggs and Peeta gently picked up the stretcher and carried her onto the hovercraft. I followed after, along with Cressida and her team. Once everyone was on board, the two men worked to keep Katniss alive on the journey home, but it was touch and go.

I could no longer bear to watch as the men worked on Katniss. They had already put tubes down her trachea to give her oxygen, and worked on gentle compressions to ensure her blood continued to circulate. I looked over at Peeta. He was as white as a sheet, visibly shaking, as his puffy, red eyes stared out the window of the hovercraft. I gently put a hand on his shoulder, and he jumped and looked at me. He then wrapped his arms around me, an embrace I gladly accepted. We both sat and cried on the way home, falling asleep in each other's arms.

I remember waking up to a light nudge from Boggs. "We're back," he said gently. I looked over at Peeta, who had also been awakened by Boggs. He stood up and began to walk out, and I followed shortly after. "Katniss has already been taken into surgery," Boggs stated. "We will keep both of you posted if we hear anything." I nodded as I made my way to my compartment.

"Avi!" I heard someone yell. I turned to see Morganne right before she hugged me. "I thought something had happened. We heard about the Code Red, so I thought you might not be alive when you got here. But you're ok!" I pulled away and looked at her, as I struggled to fight back tears. She looked at me, confused, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It wasn't me that the Code Red was for," I stated, with my voice strained. "It was Katniss."

Morganne's eyes widened. "Is she ok?" she asked.

I swallowed. "N-no," I stated. "S-she had shot a bomber hovercraft and it crashed into a pillar. It…it then fell on the b-building that she was on top of…and…and…" My voice trailed off as I looked away, tears beginning to spill from my eyes.

Morganne gently grasped my wrist. "Is she still alive?" she asked softly. I nodded. "Then hold onto that," Morganne said, with a slight smile on her face. "There is hope. She might just pull through." I nodded as she hugged me again, and I rested my head on her shoulder, holding back the remainder of my tears.

She pulled away before finally saying, "Let's go see your family. I know Ms. Robin and Klarissa were really worried about you." I nodded and followed Morganne to my compartment. I kept a look out for Peeta, but I couldn't find him. I worried about his reaction almost as much as I worried about Katniss herself.

Morganne opened the door to my compartment. I heard someone whisper, "Any news?" as I walked in. There in front of me was not only my family, but Katniss's family and Johanna. Prim and Klarissa grasping each other's hands as Ms. Robin was praying with Mrs. Everdeen. When I made eye contact with Prim, I hung my head. I couldn't bear telling her what had happened to her sister.

"It was Katniss, wasn't it?" I heard Mrs. Everdeen ask. I felt the first tear fall down my face.

I nodded. "She's in surgery now," I sniffled. Another tear fell.

"I got to go do something," Mrs. Everdeen said as she began to rush down to the hospital floor. There went the third tear.

"I'm coming too," I heard Prim say. I felt a couple more tears fall as Prim stood up to go help treat her sister.

"No you're not," Mrs. Everdeen said sternly. I saw the distraught look in Prim's eyes. She _needed_ to help. It was the only way she knew to keep herself sane while waiting for news. And she could see for herself Katniss's condition.

Prim started to argue, but Ms. Robin interjected. "How about I go with your mom?" she asked Prim. "And you can stay with Klarissa and Avi. And I promise, you guys will be the first to hear any news." Though reluctant, Prim nodded as she sat down next to Klarissa, a blank expression washing over her face. More tears began to fall down my face, as I looked back at Ms. Robin, almost begging her to come back and stay. I suddenly felt desperately alone, though surrounded by four other people.

I felt someone wrap their arms around me. I looked down and saw Prim hugging me. I hugged her back as she looked up at me and said, "Katniss is strong. She can pull through." I squeezed her a little, and just prayed to God that Prim was right.

It seemed like forever before we heard any news. Prim stayed over with Klarissa, usually clutching her hand. Morganne and Johanna stayed with me as I usually just stared off into space. It was Boggs who was the one to knock on the door with news. Katniss was still alive, but in critical condition. Her right leg was broken, along with several ribs and a cracked skull. Her back was also broken, and though she wasn't paralyzed, there was some nerve damage due to the break. And though the doctors thought she would be able to walk again, they knew it would take some time.

The biggest concern though, would be if she would live long enough to have the chance to walk again. She had suffered a severe concussion and severe internal bleeding. Though they worried about the possibility of brain injury or possible problems with motor skills, they worried most about the amount of blood she lost, both internally and externally. Though they were in the process of giving her a blood transfusion, they worried that her body would reject the new blood; as District 13 didn't have the means to screen any donated blood before transfusions, or worse, it just wouldn't be enough.

Prim and I went alone back down to the hospital to see Katniss. We entered her room to see Mrs. Everdeen and Ms. Robin watching over her and her transfusion. Gale was in there as well, along with Haymitch and Effie. I walked over and hugged both of them.

"She's one tough cookie," Haymitch said as he looked at Katniss. "I just hope she's tough enough."

Katniss almost looked like ghost laying there, almost as white as the sheet. She had two IV's stuck into her right arm, one to give her medicine and fluids, the other giving her blood. Her leg was in a cast, and there were bandages around her head and torso. She had an oxygen tube in her nose, but you couldn't see her breathing. The only indication that she was alive was the beeping of her heart monitor.

I sat down next to Katniss's bed. I grasped her hand, careful not to disturb the IV in her arm. I brushed my finger over her engagement ring, miraculously still intact after the accident. That's when I noticed the one missing person in the room; Peeta.

I looked over at Haymitch, and I could tell he knew what I was thinking. "Boggs went to look for him," he said. "No one has seen him since you guys got back." I nodded slowly as I continued to hold Katniss's hand, silently praying that she would pull through.

I sat in that hospital room for quite a while. Gale had left, as did Haymitch and Effie. Klarissa had come and gone to ask her mother questions, but for the most part, it was just Prim, Mrs. Everdeen, Ms. Robin, and me in there with Katniss. Suddenly, the hospital door opened. Peeta stepped through, out of breath as if he had run to get here. His eyes landed on Katniss, and you could almost physically see him wince. He walked over to the side of the bed opposite me, and gently took her hand. He kissed her forehead before sitting down. His eyes had begun to water as he stroked her hand, tucking some of her visible hair behind her ear. His heart was breaking, and you could almost see it do so.

We sat with her throughout the night. Ms. Robin offered to stay and keep an eye on Katniss so Prim and Mrs. Everdeen could get some sleep. Peeta and I refused to leave, and ended up falling asleep in the chairs we sat in. I was awakened by Ms. Robin checking on Katniss, and based on the frequency of these checks, and the worried body language Ms. Robin expressed, I was afraid that something was going wrong; very wrong.

I finally woke up the next morning, groggy from a lack of sleep. I was in a hospital bed in a different room, and I was disoriented and confused as Ms. Robin said, "Good morning, Avi." She gave me a small, tired smile as she continued sorting out different instruments that she had washed. "You almost fell out of the chair you were sleeping in, so Peeta and I moved you to an actual bed."

I nodded as I looked around the room. I then looked up at Ms. Robin and asked, "How's Katniss?"

"Well," Ms. Robin began, "she made it through the night. She seems to have accepted the blood transfusion we gave her. Now, it's just a matter of what damage her brain took. We can't really determine that until she wakes up."

I nodded and asked, "Do you think she's going to be ok?"

Ms. Robin sighed. "It's hard to say right now," she stated. "You never know how her body will react to certain things. But I would say, that it's looking good for her as of right now." She gave me a small smile as she said, "Why don't you go see her?" I nodded and rushed out of the room.

I walked into Katniss's room. She did appear to have a little color to her skin. She now only had the IV in her arm and the oxygen tube in her nose. Though she still had many bandages, she at least looked better.

I turned and noticed Peeta was already in the room. He smiled at me as I walked over and gave him a hug. I could tell he was still shaken by this whole ordeal. He didn't say much, but though there was that uncertainty, you could tell that the news that she was beginning to recover calmed him immensely.

Peeta and I took shifts being in with Katniss. Neither of us wanted her to be in the room alone, even if she was unconscious, but there were still daily tasks that needed to be accomplished. Others would trickle in occasionally to check on Katniss, but mostly, it was just Peeta or me in with her.

It was after dinner when Peeta and I decided we would both spend the rest of the night with her. We each sat on opposite sides of the bed. Peeta held her hand, occasionally stroking her hair. Suddenly, I saw her hand squeeze his as she took a sharp breath. She moaned a little as her eyelids began to flutter. "Call Ms. Robin!" Peeta said as I rushed up and pushed the call button.

Katniss started to move as I rushed back over to gently, but firmly, hold her shoulders down. I didn't want to risk her injuring her back or ribs more. Finally, she seemed to calm down, and she finally opened her eyes.

"Hey," Peeta said softly, with a clear relieved inflection in his voice. She looked around a bit, seemingly confused and disoriented. She then took another sharp breath and squeezed Peeta's hand. "Are you ok?" Peeta asked worried.

"It hurts," Katniss said, barely audible. Finally, Ms. Robin came in to assess the situation. She looked Katniss over, discussing with her a little about what was going on. Finally, she injected some pain medicine into Katniss's IV before walking out.

Ms. Robin turned back around before saying, "Those pain meds will take a little while to kick in, but they will make her sleepy. But let her sleep, it's the best thing for her right now." We nodded and we both sat back down next to her. Though she didn't talk much, you could tell she was grateful for the company. And it wasn't long before she fell back into the realm of sleep.

Though there were bumps along the way, Katniss slowly began to recover. Her broken bones began to heal, as did nerve damage in her spine. Within a couple of weeks, she was able to be moved to a wheelchair. She had to be pushed by someone due to her back not being fully healed (much to her dislike), but she was able to go about District 13.

Her biggest hurdle to overcome was a loss of motor skills due to her concussion. Though she maintained many basic skills, others became difficult for her. She could still shoot pretty accurately (though shaky), feed herself, and even help get herself in and out of her wheelchair, she no longer possessed her former strength. Her speech slurred occasionally, and even basic tasks such as braiding her hair and buttoning a shirt had become difficult. The doctors believed she would be able to return to her prior strength, it would take some time and therapy to get there. And until then, she had to mostly sit on the side lines, news she did not take well. But at least she was recovering.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Three months later, and though Katniss was still in her wheelchair, she had improved immensely. Though her leg wasn't quite healed enough to support her weight, she could now push herself in the wheelchair, and her motor skills increasingly became better. And due to her speedy recovery, she began to feature in some of the propos filmed District 13. Her first told of the accident, and though the majority of the propo was just her talking, it caused an uproar in the nation.

It didn't take the Capitol long to retaliate. They further increased floggings and executions, and the peacekeeper force had nearly tripled. The rebellion had become a national issue, whether President Snow liked it or not.

But here at District 13, there were other issues we had begun to worry about. Not only was the Mockingjay team running out of ideas for successful propos, Ms. Robin had become sick. It wasn't anything contagious, but no one was able to put their finger on what it was. Though she would never admit to it, Ms. Robin slowly became worse, her strength slowly diminishing. After already losing my biological parents and Danielle, though I always remained strong for Klarissa and Bri, I was terrified that I would lose my adoptive mother too.

This all lead to the most important turning point for me in this rebellion. One night, I was sitting with Peeta, Morganne, and Johanna at dinner. Ms. Robin wasn't feeling well, so Klarissa had gone back to the compartment to take care of Bri; as Jacob had gone back to help Beetee with something.

I hadn't even touched my food, too lost in thought and worry to eat. "You need to eat something," Morganne said, nudging me a little. I looked back at her as she continued, "You've got too much going on to not eat. You need the nutrition." I shook my head and looked away. I could tell she was about to say something else, but stopped.

I started to turn and look back at Morganne when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I knew it was Katniss, hearing her new crutches clanging against the floor on her way in, but before I could turn to look at her, the TV's in the cafeteria came to life. My eyes darted to the screen as the Capitol TV's theme song played, and their logo faded away to show Caesar Flickerman. "Good evening," he said. "And a big welcome to all in Panem. I'm Caesar Flickerman, and whoever you are, whatever it is that you are doing; if you're working, put down your work. If you're having dinner, stop having dinner, because there is an important issue to discuss tonight. We will be delving into what is really happening in the districts, and shed a little light on what we, as citizens, should do about them. I am joined, as always, by my beautiful cohost, Tressa Fairbain."

The camera switched views to where it showed Tressa's face. Caesar continued to talk, but I wasn't paying attention. She looked too familiar, seemed too familiar; her facial expressions reminded me of someone, but I couldn't place who it was, or why I would know her.

"These uprisings are really quite tragic, don't you agree Tressa?" Caesar said.

"Yes Caesar, they are," Tressa responded. I froze, that voice…it was the same voice as…but it couldn't be…

"On a scale from 1 to 10," Caesar began, "I would have to rate this as being about as depressing as your love life."

Tressa laughed, and in trying to contain her laughter, she snorted before saying, "That blows the chart out of the water." Her laugh left no doubt, I knew no one who laughed like Tressa just did. And when I studied her face, it only confirmed my suspicions.

"It's Danielle," I said. I had no clue how it was Danielle, but I knew that this "Tressa" was the same sister of mine who died for me in the Hunger Games. Or at least, I thought she died.

"Avi, there is no way," Katniss said, trying to convince me otherwise. "It's just Caesar's new cohost."

"No, that's Danielle," I retaliated. "No one laughs like that."

"Katniss, she's right," Peeta said, also standing in unbelief. "I don't know how she is still alive, but that is definitely her on that screen."

Katniss watched intensely as we continued to listen to the interview. Morganne ran to get Klarissa and Ms. Robin. Caesar continued, "But back on this serious topic, as you and many others have heard, there have been terrible uprisings in the districts. There have been property destruction, peacekeeper and civilian deaths, and the Capitol has had to punish many of these people. It's all been thanks to a couple of these radicals that have managed to escape the Capitol's clutches. Kidding aside, it truly is tragic."

"Yes it is Caesar," Danielle responded. I watched her eyes. I couldn't tell if she truly believed this, or if she was just playing along. She once wore her emotions on her sleeve, and now, I couldn't get a reading on what she was thinking.

"Now Tressa," Caesar said, "tell me something. What do you think that our fellow man should do, maybe those who are right on the cusp of joining these radicals, but also not quite sure, what advice do you have for them?"

I turned to see Klarissa and Ms. Robin had walked into the room. I saw it in their eyes, they knew who she was. "It's Danielle," I saw Klarissa mouth. She looked at me with shock and joy before looking back up at the screen.

Danielle shifted in her seat and I watched her closely. She looked at the screen and said, "I'd like to address all of Panem tonight. I want you to think about the decisions you are making. Why are you doing this? Is it because your district is doing it? Or do you truly want things to change? I want you to consider your decisions before acting upon them, and decide in your heart; what is truly best for this country? And I want you to act upon that." That's when I saw the fighting spirit emerge in her eyes, slightly dripping off her words. The same fight I saw during the Games.

"And what is the right thing?" Caesar asked. I shifted a little as I turned around to see that Ms. Robin and Klarissa were the only two still watching the interview with me.

I looked back towards the screen. Danielle took a deep breath and said, "It's not something I can tell them Caesar. It is something they must decide in their hearts. And I'm confident that they will make the right decision."

I turned and looked at Ms. Robin and Klarissa. "Come on," I said, "we have to tell Coin." We took off towards District 13's headquarters. I opened the door to see Peeta, Katniss, and Morganne already in there, along with the others from the Mockingjay crew.

Coin looked back at me and said, "I've heard. Your sister is in the Capitol, brainwashed into being-"

"Madam President, she is not brainwashed," I said sternly. "I saw the same fire in her eyes that she had when she fought to keep me alive in those Games. The same fighting spirit that I saw as she willingly gave up her life so I could win. It is the same spirit that only Danielle possesses. Whether the Capitol tried to brainwash her or not is a different story. But she is fully Danielle in every way, shape, and form."

I glanced over at Peeta, Jacob, and Morganne who were all re-watching the footage on Jacob's computer. "She's right," Peeta said. "That's Danielle alright."

"Then why on earth is she working for the Capitol, trying to convince people to stop joining our cause?" Coin questioned.

"Simple," Beetee began. "The Capitol made a mistake in saying that Danielle was dead when they fired that cannon. It's obvious that they weren't wrong in crowning their victor, as she would have died eventually without medical treatment. When examining her body when it was pulled from the arena, they discovered that she was, in fact, alive. Instead of killing her, they attempted to brainwash her into thinking she was a Capitol born citizen, named Tressa, and wanted to use her as a tool for their own gain. The brainwashing was clearly unsuccessful, but because she understands the position she is in, she's choosing to act like she is a Capitol citizen as a way to potentially help the rebellion. She doesn't want to end it, you can tell by how she carefully crafted her responses to Caesar's questions. She gives a more objective response, one that the viewer can take in any direction he or she pleases. She avoids saying that she wants them to stop the rebellion as that's not what she wants, and avoids saying for them to join the rebellion as that would get her killed; while at the same time, she encourages those in the rebellion to continue what they're doing. And I bet she got away with this because the officials still believe she is brainwashed and that this is all coming from 'Tressa'."

Katniss shook her head, "We have to keep a close watch. Snow isn't stupid, and after tonight, I have a feeling he's going to begin to question if the brainwash was truly effective."

"We're going to have to rescue her," I said, franticness in my voice. "It's not safe for her there."

"Perhaps not," Coin said, "but we must be strategic about this. We can't just storm the Capitol and retrieve her. I cannot risk putting a team in danger unless the timing is right."

I sighed, glaring at Coin. "Fine," I responded, "but I ask that you make it a top priority." Coin simply nodded. She dismissed us, wanting to talk with Plutarch, Haymitch, and Beetee alone.

But as I walked out of the district's headquarters, another spark had happened in my heart, one I did not expect; hope. I had joined this rebellion because I was done with the Games and our murderous government, and anger fueled the fire I had. But now, there was the winds of hope feeding the burning fire. Danielle was alive, and maybe, just maybe, this rebellion would be a success. But with wind, many times, comes a storm.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

We continued with our normal routines of filming propos. Several were filmed just above ground, as Katniss was still mostly out of commission for any out of district propos, but a few were filmed below ground and gently scripted. Though not as successful as the combat propos filmed prior to Katniss's accident, they fueled the fire, and uprisings continued to happen throughout the districts. District 2 remained the only district not totally overwhelmed by the rebels, and even there, rebel groups were forming.

The Capitol continued to try and use Danielle, or "Tressa", to retaliate against our propos. With every Capitol retaliation came another propo, and with her weak "against rebel" comebacks and the success of our propos, the rebel forces remained steady. It was only a matter of time before war would officially be declared.

That is, until one fateful day. Coin had called for an underground propo shooting that day, primarily staring me. Though it was scripted, thanks to the hope sparked by knowing that Danielle was still alive, they had become actually successful with true emotion behind them. We had begun shooting when the door swung open to reveal a panting Peeta.

Everyone turned to look at him and production stopped. Coin and Plutarch sighed, and I looked at him puzzled. He looked at me and said, "You have to come with me now, Avi." I started to ask why, and he simply said, "It's Ms. Robin."

Without a second thought, I jumped down and ran with Peeta. He lead me to my compartment, where Ms. Robin lay in bed, and Klarissa stood next to her, holding her hand, her cheeks wet with tears.

"It finally happened today," Klarissa said softly. "She has gotten so weak and so sick, we knew she was just going to collapse one day. I guess today is that day."

I walked over to Klarissa and hugged her, sitting down next to Ms. Robin on her bed. Peeta walked over and put a hand on my shoulder and said, "Klarissa came and found me earlier. Ms. Robin was passed out on the floor and her breathing was labored. I moved her to her bed where I figured she would be more comfortable." I nodded, my eyes beginning to fill with tears. Ms. Robin had been sick for almost six months now, progressively getting worse and worse. And with no one knowing what was wrong with her, I knew this day was coming, when I would lose my adoptive mother.

Peeta went to retrieve Bri from Morganne and Johanna's, Morganne joining him, as she had been close to Danielle and Ms. Robin before being shipped off to District 7. Katniss came in briefly to check on me from time to time, and to see what was going on, but mostly left us alone, and just reported back to Coin any updates.

After a couple of hours, Ms. Robin's eyes fluttered open, filled with pain. She looked over at Klarissa and I, and gave us a weak smile. She looked over at Peeta and Morganne, with Peeta holding a squirming Bri. Ms. Robin coughed a little and shakily asked Peeta, "Can you let me hold her for a bit?" Peeta nodded and gently laid Bri on Ms. Robin's chest, Bri giving her a smile as she curled up on her chest.

"I love you Mama," Bri said as she hugged Ms. Robin's neck.

"I love you too angel," Ms. Robin replied as she rubbed Bri's back. She softly talked to her as she drifted off to sleep. Once Bri was out, Ms. Robin gave her a kiss before asking Peeta to lay her down in her bed, a stray tear falling down her face.

Once Peeta returned, she weakly smiled at both him and Morganne. With her breathing ever more labored, she said, "Thank you for watching out for my girls, it truly means a lot that they have someone to go to, especially now. And I ask that you tell Katniss thank you as well."

"Of course," Peeta asked, as both he and Morganne gave Ms. Robin hugs.

Ms. Robin then turned to Klarissa, her eyes becoming red. She squeezed her hand and said, "I am so proud of you, Klarissa. You have grown up so much these past few years. You have been so strong with Danielle gone and everything that has been going on. I love you so much, and I ask that you remain strong for me, and for Bri." Klarissa reached down to give her mom a hug, both of them crying. Ms. Robin gave her a kiss on her cheek as she turned to me.

She squeezed my hand. "Avi," she began, "I was initially worried of how you, Bri, and my girls were going to adapt to living together, and how you and Bri would do when I became your mother. I never expected how well you all adapted; you almost instantaneously adopted Klarissa as your own sister almost as soon as Danielle did to you. You have always looked out for her and loved her as if she were your biological sister. You too have been so strong, you haven't let even our toughest challenges destroy you. And I ask that you continue to look out for Klarissa, and even Danielle from time to time." She smiled and said, "I love you very much, and tell Danielle that I love her, and I miss her, and though I may never see her again here on earth, that I will see her again someday. And you too."

I gave Ms. Robin a hug and she kissed my cheek. She laid back down as she let her eyes drift close. She was at peace as her breathing became shallower and shallower. Klarissa came over to hug me, and I embraced her as we together watched Ms. Robin take one last breath before her chest became still. Though I knew it was coming, I immediately felt a numbness wash over me. I hardly noticed as Klarissa squeezed me, burring her head into my shoulder. I felt hugs from both Peeta and Morganne, but I never reacted to them. I had lost my biological parents, and now, I had lost my adoptive mother too.

I was brought back to reality when Peeta and Gale had come in to take Ms. Robin's body down to the morgue. Klarissa had started to scream, and I tried to quiet her, wrapping my arms around her as I began to cry into her hair. She had officially been broken, losing her dad several years ago and now her mom. She was an orphan, and though her sister was still alive, her presence wasn't tangible, and the chance of Danielle being killed was pretty high. All I could do was try to comfort her, and try not to break in front of her.

Coin allowed for a funeral for Ms. Robin. It was a small ceremony consisting of only those who were either close to her, or Klarissa and I. She was buried just above ground in a small flowery plain, with a small tombstone marking her grave. Klarissa, Peeta, Prim, Bri, and I stayed there for a little while, talking and expressing our feelings to one another. By nightfall, we had retreated back underground to begin the true process of grieving.

Coin allowed me a week to recover before we began filming propos again. By now, Katniss's leg had fully healed, and could begin shooting again. But this next propo, I thought should be done a little differently. I wanted to do a memorial martyr propo dedicated to Ms. Robin.

It was filmed mostly in the plain Ms. Robin was buried in. With difficulty, I decided to sing a song that described what I was feeling, and let the nation know that this hurt would just fuel my fire.

 _I know it's easy to fall apart,_

 _When all you see is a trail of scars._

 _When I'm hopelessly broken,_

 _In a moment of doubt,_

 _You're my only way out._

I stood at Ms. Robin's grave. I brushed against the flowers that were flowing in the wind around me. I sighed and said, "This journey has not been easy, and most of Panem is no stranger to pain and loss. And just recently, I was dealt a deep blow with loss. But that's not going to keep me down. I'm ready to fight."

 _So I'll stand again._

 _Take another step because of You,_

 _I can, I'm not scared cause You are where I end._

 _You are where I end._

I continued to walk across the meadow, explaining the loss I had endured, the emptiness I felt, but told of how my God was carrying me through it all. I was not in this alone, and this loss just fueled my fire. It was because of this government that Ms. Robin couldn't get the professional medical care that could have saved her life. And now, there is no stopping me from destroying it.

 _You fill the empty._

 _Light up the dark._

 _Here all around me,_

 _Is where You are._

 _I will rest in Your mercy._

 _Wherever I land,_

 _I'm falling into Your hands._

We ended the shoot, and I walked over to Klarissa who had been watching the shoot. She was crying, hugging Peeta as I met her. She hugged me, crying into my shoulder. I assured her that we can do this, that this Capitol will fall, and that we will get Danielle back. And with that, we both went back underground.

 _So I'll stand again._

 _Take another step because of You,_

 _I can, I'm not scared cause You are where I end._

 _You are where I end._

It hadn't been an easy recovery, for me or Klarissa. In the day to day life, we had become Bri's primary caregivers. I had become the head of our little family, and that occasionally led to conflict. But we weren't alone, Katniss, Peeta, and Prim especially made sure of that. They, along with Jacob, Johanna, and Morganne made sure that we had everything we needed, and company when we wanted it. We might be orphans, but we were never alone.

 _So I run to You with nothing left._

 _I surrender all 'til my last breath._

 _And I won't forget until the end,_

 _You're not done with me yet._

In the following days, Plutarch edited and perfected the propo. Coin portrayed it to the citizens of 13, and it had an amazing reception. Peeta and Katniss both hugged me as we watched it, and tears formed in my eyes as I watched the reaction of the people. It was a reminder that there is nothing God can't use.

 _I'll stand again._

 _Take another step because of You,_

 _I can, You are where I end._

There was an uproar in the districts. There were major uprisings in eleven of the districts, and the rebel force increased in District 2. The rebels bombed the hydro-electric dam in District 5. The waters were ready for war, but President Snow had one more trick up his sleeve.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

With the collapse of the hydro-electric dam, much of the Capitol's power supply was cut off, limiting them to certain functions. Though they could send out messages, their firewall and other defense systems were down. With this knowledge, Beetee and Jacob worked furiously to get their way through, and that they did. Now we just had to implement this new found freedom at the right time and with the right message. And the night following the dam attack, that opportunity arose.

Boggs had called me, Peeta, and Klarissa into the room as Danielle was being broadcasted. She was talking about the dam attack, along with a few other recent ones. You could see the anger in her eyes as she delivered her speech. I didn't pay much attention as I watched Beetee and Jacob working frantically to get a message through.

"Interrupting the regularly scheduled scripted horse manure to bring you this," Beetee said as he pressed a button. The screen crackled, and the most recent propo, the one dedicated to Ms. Robin flickered onto the screen. You could hear me singing as it played through.

"That's it, there's our propo," Coin said as we watched anxiously.

"Avi?" Danielle said as the screen cut back to her. She looked confused and worried.

"Tressa, please continue," Caesar said, trying to snap Danielle back. You could hear the faint scrambling of people in the background before the screen cut back to the propo.

"Aviana, are you there?" Danielle asked, her voice thick with tension and worry.

"Tressa, please," Caesar said again as the screen again cut back to the Capitol footage. You could sense the urgency in his voice, the urgency for Danielle to go back to her speech and act like she didn't just admit to knowing me the way she did.

But she realized there was no going back. She straightened up and looked dead into the camera. "Avi," she began, "they're coming. Get out of 13." You heard the rush of feet as people came to grab Danielle. "They'll bomb you guys, you'll be dead by morning," was the last thing she said, sheer franticness in her voice, as she was yanked from the camera, and the screen cut to the Capitol's logo. I covered my mouth in absolute shock.

"That was a warning," Haymitch said.

"We need to get her out of there!" I said, my voice already thick with worry and emotion. "They're going to kill her."

"Is there anything in the air?" Coin asked.

"Nothing on Doppler, ma'am," an officer responded.

"She has so many Capitol connections," Coin began turning to us, "who knows what she's overheard." She paused before she said, "It's time for an air raid drill."

Lights and sirens began to blare. "This is a Code Red alert," I heard over the intercom. I tuned out the noise as I turned to Klarissa and said, "Stay with Peeta. I'm going to find Bri." I glanced at Peeta, who gave me a nod as he grabbed Klarissa's hand and walked out.

I ran to the cafeteria, yelling Bri and Morganne's name. "Last doors will seal in 6 minutes," the intercom blared. I rushed to the nearest stairwell and began to descend, praying that they had already made it downstairs with Bri. I tried to catch a glimpse of the lower stairs to see if I could see either of them, but it was too dark. The entire building shook as a bomb hit, causing everyone to scream. I took off down the stairs, trying to make sure I wasn't trampled. When I reached the bunker, I scanned the room for any sign of Morganne or Bri. I saw Johanna and darted over to her. But she was by herself.

I placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Where is Morganne and Bri?"

Johanna looked up at me and said, "I don't know. She disappeared after the drill began."

I felt the color leave my face as I franticly took off for the stairs again. "Last doors will seal in 2 minutes," I heard announced as I ran up the stairs. Finally, almost half way to the top, I heard a beautiful noise, Bri screaming.

"Morganne!" I yelled as I ran to meet her. I took Bri from her and said, "We've got to get back down now!" I screamed over the noise. We took off down the stairs, just barely making it back in before the doors were shut. I hugged Bri, and then Morganne briefly before I went to find Klarissa and Peeta.

They were sitting on a bed across from Katniss and her family when I found them. I sat down next to Klarissa, as she took Bri from me. I stared off into space, shell shocked from the events that had unfolded in just the past 10 minutes. Klarissa noticed though.

"What's wrong?" she asked as she calmed an anxious Bri.

"Nothing," I stated, trying not to worry her. I heard a bomb hit the district, and the people screamed as I saw dust fall from the ceiling. Klarissa grabbed my arm in fear as Bri began to cry again. I hugged her, trying to avoid making eye contact with Klarissa. Unfortunately, Klarissa was sometimes too smart for her own good.

"Avi," she said. I turned to her, and looking me in the eye, asked, "Why did we know in advance about these bombs. I know enough to know that we shouldn't have had the time we did before bombs hit."

I closed my eyes as another bomb shook the bunker. I started shaking, burying my face in Bri's hair as I turned away from Klarissa. I took a deep breath and said, "Danielle warned us."

Klarissa's eyes widened. "Please tell me their sending someone to go get her!" she asked, franticness rising in her voice.

"I don't know, 'Riss," I choked. "But they can't send anyone out now." I immediately regretted those words because I knew Klarissa would know what that meant. Without a miracle, Danielle would be executed before a team could get to her.

Another bomb hit as Klarissa hugged me, tears already falling down her face. I rubbed her back as a few stray tears trickled down my face. Bri squeezed me as another bomb hit, and I looked up to see cracks forming in the concrete above us. Suddenly, the lights flickered out, and people around us became frantic as Bri began to scream again. I found the light on our bed post, struggling to get it on as it shook from the vibrations around us. Finally, it came on, and I sat back down on the bed, and held Klarissa and Bri close. After a few minutes, the three of us laid down on the bed, and even in the midst of the chaos happening above ground, we all fell asleep.

I was awoken by Haymitch. He leaned down over me as he whispered, "Come with me. Coin needs to talk with you."

I glanced back at Klarissa and Bri, as Peeta gently said from the bunk above me, "I will keep an eye on them. They'll be ok." I nodded as I carefully got up out of bed and followed Haymitch to the headquarters. Coin stood there, leaning on her desk. She was stressed, but relieved that the night was over.

"They gave it their best shot," she said. I nodded and she asked, "How are your sisters?"

"They're alright," I said. "Both are a little shaken, but they're ok."

"Good," Coin said. She took a breath before saying, "You know, I was wrong about Danielle. You and those who knew her believed that the Capitol had failed at brainwashing her, and she was just doing everything in her power to make them happy without saying anything to discourage the rebellion. I had my doubts. But after last night, I realized I was wrong, and you all were right. We had eight extra minutes of civilian evacuation time because of her warning. I won't forget that."

I nodded somberly. "Thank you," I muttered.

"Which is why," Coin began, "I have assembled a rescue mission to get her out of that Capitol before they kill her."

"I've got to go help them!" I said as I turned to take off.

"Easy there ember," Haymitch said, gently putting his hands on my shoulders, "they're already in the air. We set up a team of six volunteers, and they are already headed towards the Capitol. There's nothing you can do there."

Coin nodded, "Finnick is already doing a live feed. Beetee is using his feed to tamper with the delicate system the Capitol has after the dam attack. The feed is allowing him to fill all of the Capitol's limited frequencies with it. This will hopefully allow the hovercraft to get in undetected."

"Come with me," Haymitch said. I followed him, almost numb with relief and tension from hearing that there was a rescue mission taking place. He lead me in to the tech headquarters. There, Plutarch, Katniss, and Beetee sat, watching over the feed. Coin walked in behind us, along with Peeta, who had left the girls in the care of Mrs. Everdeen and Prim.

"Where's Jacob?" I asked, noticing the other member of the tech team missing.

"He volunteered to go," Haymitch said.

"Being the tech person he is," Beetee stated, "we are able to use him to help tamper with the Capitol's system, as well as communicate with us. As long as the Capitol doesn't cut our connection, we'll be able to know exactly what's going on, along with them being undetected."

"Who else went?" I asked worriedly. I knew this was a dangerous mission, and already I faced still the ever-lingering possibility of losing Danielle, I worried for the safety of any of my other loved ones who joined the mission.

Haymitch sighed. "Johanna and Morganne also volunteered," he said. "Boggs is heading up the mission, and Gale also went along." Haymitch looked at me and said, "We didn't even ask Katniss or Peeta. We knew you needed someone you loved in case the mission went south." I nodded nervously as I kept a good look at the feed that was on the huge screen. You could see and hear Finnick's propo, and Beetee communicated with Jacob via his headset. They were already in Capitol airspace, and the hovercraft hovered over the building that was supposed to house Danielle. I watched anxiously as the team went in. From a small camera following the team, I was able to see what was going on. I focused on Finnick's feed, nervous of what I would see on the team's cameras. Everyone shifted anxiously as Beetee listened intently what Jacob was saying. Beetee switched a button to where everyone else could hear what he was saying.

"Alright," Jacob said through his headset, "we've located where Danielle is. We just have to find it." Guns ready, the team stalked around the building using red flashlights to peer through the darkness. They came across a door, light seeping underneath the door. "There's something going on in there," Jacob said, his voice anxious. He turned to look at the number on the door and said, "This is it."

I braced myself for what was about to happen next. I heard Beetee say something franticly, and I faintly heard the pressing of buttons and keys, but I tuned it out as I watched Boggs burst through the door, and the camera's feed flood with light. Guards started to come into view, and you could see a stare down take place as the feed slowly came back into focus. You could almost make out a figure lying on the floor, before a gun sounded and the camera feed went black.

"What happened?" I asked franticly. My eyes darted between Beetee and the screen, willing the screen to show anything but the static mess before me.

"We've completely lost connection," Beetee said frustrated. "I have no way to contact Jacob or the others." He looked at me worried and said, "The worst part is, I think the Capitol knows they're in there."

I felt the color drain from my face. The realization of what had just happened caused me to crumble to my knees, Peeta and Katniss rushing to my side. I began to shake uncontrollably, tears streaming down my face as I clutched Katniss with desperation. "I can't lose them," I kept screaming, "I can't lose them!" I felt dizzy, and I held on to Katniss and Peeta as if they were the only people keeping me from losing my grip on sanity. I started to feel sick when I stood up and ran for my compartment. I promptly threw up in the bathroom, shivering and clutching my stomach when I was through. I had been through plenty of tragedies in my day, but nothing could prepare me for losing almost everyone I loved in one fell swoop.

I hadn't even noticed that Katniss was in the room when I stood up to clean myself up. I washed my face and rinsed my mouth with her help, before finally going and laying down in bed. I held Katniss's hand with the same desperate grip, not saying a single word to her, but her company was definitely appreciated.

But that's when Klarissa walked in, holding Bri's hand. She looked confused, as Bri yanked her hand away to come give me a hug. "What's going on?" she asked. It was a question I knew was coming, but I sure as heck didn't want to answer.

Picking up Bri and holding her tight, I looked down at the floor and said, "There was a rescue attempt for your sister." I closed my eyes, gulping a lump I felt beginning to form in my throat. "Jacob, Morganne, and Johanna all went as well. We had a connection until right when they broke into the room that she was supposed to be in…there was a gunshot…and we lost connection. We don't know if they're alive."

Klarissa hung her head. Without another word, she bit her lip and walked out toward the direction of the Everdeen's compartment. I felt the tears fall, having no strength to hold them back. Because, what I didn't tell Klarissa, was that the Capitol knew of the rescue attempt, and were most likely going to capture and kill the entire team. And in that moment, I resigned myself to the fact that I would never see any of the rescue team, or Danielle, again.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next morning, I awoke late in the day, exhausted from the previous day's events. I busied myself with tasks inside my compartment to distract myself from the thoughts of what happened to Jacob, Morganne, and Danielle. They weren't major things, such as cleaning the living areas and organizing Bri's stuff, but just enough to keep me distracted. In fact, I had become so focused, that I never heard the knock at my door or someone enter the room. So when I heard someone softly say, "Hey," I almost jumped out of my skin, not paying attention to the sound of the voice.

But then, I turned to face the voice's owner. My eyes grew wide, and I involuntarily began to smile, despite the bruises, cuts, and red handprints on her neck. Tears began to fill my eyes as I yelled, "Danielle!" I ran over to her and threw my arms around her, happy tears streaming down my face. I felt the dread and grief from yesterday melt away as I was embraced by the older sister who I thought had been dead for over a year, and the very one I thought had died in a failed rescue attempt the previous day. I heard her heart beat against my ear, hearing and knowing that she was alive in front of me. I felt a couple of tears fall onto my hair, and I clutched her tighter, as if I were to let her go, she would disappear.

"I'm here Av," Danielle said, gently stroking my hair. "I'm not going anywhere."

"You're alive!" I sobbed. "You're really alive!" She held me a little tighter as I said, "I heard your heart stop beating. I saw your chest stop moving." My tears had dried as my voice lost its emotion. "And then I heard the gun shot from last night. I thought everyone was dead."

Danielle stroked my hair as she said, "I wish I could tell you that last night was without its casualties." I gasped and looked up at her, already feeling tears of dread fill my eyes. "Morganne was the one hit. The bullet hit her just below her vest and into her stomach. She's alive, but because they had no means of treating her in the air, she's lost a lot of blood. She's in surgery now."

I closed my eyes and let my head fall onto Danielle's chest. I didn't sob, I just simply let the tears fall down my face, one right after the other. "Boggs promised to keep us posted," I heard Danielle say. "And other than the possible bullet graze or minor injuries, everyone else is ok." I nodded, but the tears continued to fall. I had begun to shiver, no longer having the energy to sob anymore. With loosing Ms. Robin just a few weeks prior, and with the events of last night, I was downright exhausted.

But then Danielle asked the question I had dreaded her asking since the moment I found out she was alive. "Where's Mom, Klarissa, and Bri? I went to find you first, so I haven't seen them yet." I sighed. I looked down at my feet, as another tear trickled down my cheek. Danielle noticed it and wiped it away. "Mom's dead, isn't she?" Danielle asked.

I looked up at her, surprised, but slowly nodded. "She had been sick for so long," I said. "The doctors tried everything to figure out what was wrong, but they could never put a finger on it. And one day, she just collapsed." I sniffled as I wiped away a stray tear. I felt Danielle's hand on my shoulder as I said, "She said that she loved you, and she missed you, and she'll see you again one day." I looked up at Danielle, who had tear trails down her face. "I'm so sorry."

Danielle gently pulled me into a hug, rubbing my back as we both began to sob. "It's not your fault, and I don't blame you for anything," she said, her voice strained. I squeezed her, and she stroked my hair. She finally pulled away and looked at me, wiping the tears from my face. "I guess this means we really need to stick together to make sure we're there for Klarissa and Bri." I nodded as I hugged her again.

"I love you," I said, sniffling.

"I love you too," Danielle responded, rubbing my back.

We suddenly heard a door open, revealing Klarissa walking in with Bri. Her eyes grew wide as her mouth dropped open. "Danielle?" she asked. "You're really here?"

Danielle smiled. "Yes," she said, "and yes, I'm really here."

Klarissa set Bri down on the ground and ran to Danielle, throwing her arms around her, hugging her as tight as she could. "You're home," Klarissa muttered.

"Yeah, I am, 'Riss," Danielle said, "and I'm not going anywhere." Danielle pulled away and looked down at Bri and scooped her up, holding her tight. Bri looked at Danielle questioningly, but then hugged her back. "I've missed you too, Bri," Danielle said.

The door opened again to reveal Katniss and Peeta. Their eyes grew wide upon seeing Danielle. Danielle looked at them, giving them a smile before saying, "What? Do I look like some sort of freak attraction or something?"

"Well," Peeta remarked, "you were supposedly dead for over a year. That's not exactly normal."

"Gee, thanks Peeta," Danielle laughed as she hugged him. She turned and hugged Katniss too, before stating, "I suppose we'll be working together soon." Katniss pulled away and nodded.

The door opened once again to reveal Boggs. Danielle stood and asked, "How's Morganne?"

"She's doing alright," Boggs responded. "The bullet did some internal damage, but nothing the surgeons couldn't fix. She's out of surgery, but she's still asleep. However, the doctors permitted that you sit with her until she wakes up. Just inform one of them when she is awake."

"Ok, thank you Boggs," Danielle said before turning to me. "You ready to go down there?" Danielle asked and I nodded. She hugged Klarissa and Bri before following Boggs down to Morganne's room.

He opened the door for us and we walked in. Jacob and Johanna sat on either side of Morganne's hospital bed. Morganne lay there, looking rather pale, but her vitals looked ok on her monitors. Her stomach was wrapped, and she had an IV in her arm. Jacob stood up and walked toward the door, and Johanna followed shortly after, leaving Danielle and I alone with Morganne.

After a few minutes, I looked at Danielle and simply asked, "What happened? What happened to you at the Capitol?"

Danielle sighed. "It's not a fun story, that's for sure." She lifted up her shirt to reveal a scar on the side of her stomach, right where the spear hit her. I gasped, as she continued, "I don't remember anything after the games. I never heard a cannon, any sort of announcement for you or anything. I honestly thought I was dead, or real close to it at best. I never expected to wake up in a Capitol hospital, and I never expected to be greeted by President Snow when I woke up. He explained to me what had happened, and why I was there. He kept asking me questions like, 'Did I plan on surviving? Were you a part of any sort of rebel plot?' so on and so forth. I answered them honestly, simply that I was just as surprised as they were to be alive. He seemed to sense my honesty, enough that he told me what his plan for me was. That he was going to brainwash me into being a Capitol citizen, Tressa, and then I was going to be a tool to try and stop the rebellion. While I never really thought about the rebellion as being a true reality, I knew I wouldn't want Snow to win if there was one, and probably would end up joining the rebels. But of course, if I had said that, I wouldn't be sitting here today. So I kept that thought to myself, hoping and praying that I could be used in the position that I was in to help you guys. And of course, not to be successfully brainwashed.

"The brainwashing itself wasn't like the horror stories you hear, but it wasn't fun either. They injected me with tracker jacker venom, and showed me pictures and sent several shocks through my body. I don't remember all of it, as I know I passed out through parts. But what I do remember was pretty painful. When I was done, I thought that it had failed, because I still thought I was Danielle. But I went along with anything they said, and responded to the new name they gave me. They went through and designed a look for me; complete with makeup, clothes, shoes, wigs, and accessories. Now, I got to admit, some of the shopping around was fun, but there were a few things that they insisted I get that I naturally thought were just hideous, but there was a small part of me that thought that these clothes were stinking cute. And that's when I realized that, while they failed in wiping my brain of everything that made me Danielle, they had succeeded in adding everything that made me Tressa. And that's when I realized how much of a tool I could truly be.

"Once they created the look of Tressa, they introduced me to Caesar, telling me that I would become his new cohost. Now, of course, they had a 'competition' for the position of Caesar's cohost, and I played along as if I were a contestant. But everyone but the audience knew that I was the one who would win. And so, I stepped into my new position. There wasn't anything major that took place in the first few months, and I think Caesar was told to avoid rebel topics for a while purposely to get me settled into my job before they used me. And I was able to get settled into becoming Tressa, fully developing the character they instilled, or rather shocked, into me. But I still retained the person of Danielle, though I couldn't live my life as her anymore.

"And then came the rebel topics. I did everything in my power to avoid saying something to deter the citizens from joining the rebel forces, while at the same time, not saying anything to show I was against the Capitol. While I seemed to go by unnoticed by the people I worked with, I knew Snow was onto me. That's when I knew my time was limited, and that soon, I would be forced to reveal that I still knew who I was; someone the Capitol had failed to eliminate.

"That time came when Thirteen intercepted our transmission. I was so caught off guard by hearing your voice, that I didn't even catch myself when I called out your name. But when I realized what I had done, I knew there was no going back. Because even if I maintained my composure for the rest of the segment, I knew that me acknowledging you was the nail in the coffin for Snow realizing his failure. And I decided that I would just go ahead and go all out, and warn you of the bombs I knew were already on their way. And when I did, I was practically buried in guards. I was taken to an isolated room in the Tribute Center, and Snow questioned me, and again, I told him the truth; that I knew that I was still Danielle, even if I knew how to live as Tressa. And so he ordered that I be executed and beaten. He had several guards beat me almost senseless then and there, and I spent the rest of the night by myself. The next night, guards came in to finish the job. All six guards struggled to get me down to the ground to strangle me, cause you know that I won't go down without a fight. But in the end, I couldn't outlast them, and they succeeded and strangling me, technically to death. Had Boggs not revived me, I would be dead." She touched the handprint shaped bruises on her neck as she said, "And then the rescue team loaded me up on the hovercraft and brought me here, treating me medically along the way. And once I got here, I came to find you."

I nodded as another tear trickled down the trail many others had left as Danielle retold her story. I didn't know what to say, other than to simply walk over and hug her as I sobbed into her shoulder. She held me close, rubbing my back as I slowly started to drift off.

I was almost asleep when I felt Danielle tense. I rubbed my eyes and looked up at her as she said, "Morganne's waking up." I hopped up and walked over to my seat on the other side of her bed as Morganne slowly stirred in her bed. Her breathing became labored with pain, so I gently squeezed her hand as Danielle called for a doctor. Morganne opened her eyes and looked over at me, and smiled through the pain.

"See what I go through to bring you your sister back?" she said slightly sassily.

"Thank you," I said as I reached down to gently hug her, and she returned the embrace.

"You're welcome," she said as she pulled away. "I would go through this again if I needed to. You, Klarissa, and Bri all needed your big sister, and someone had to go save her." She winked at Danielle and gave me a smile, to which I returned.

The doctor came in to look Morganne over, giving the report that she was doing well, and was believed to make a full recovery. Shortly thereafter, Johanna and Jacob came back in to be with her, and Danielle and I went back up to our compartment to spend time with Klarissa and Bri, to which we concluded a whirlwind of a day.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Danielle was given a mere week before thrown into the line of fire as our third Mockingjay. Coin requested that an in district propo be shot of just Danielle, simply telling her story, and that she was now ready to join the rebel forces and fight. There was so much turmoil in the districts, that the whole nation had sided with the rebel force, with just one last stronghold of loyalists in District 2, in a military base called "The Nut".

Once Danielle was back at full strength, a meeting was held with President Coin. She wanted to meet with the Mockingjay team once again to discuss what we were to do, and discuss where Danielle would truly fit onto the team.

Katniss, Danielle, and I walked into Coin's meeting room. Coin was already there, talking to a few of her officials. She excused them and addressed the three of us. "Have a seat," she said politely. "Glad you are all back at full strength." She glanced over at Danielle and asked, "So, I know you've already done a propo, telling a little bit of your story. But what do you think about officially joining the team as our third Mockingjay?"

"I am ready to help the rebels in any way that I can," Danielle responded. "I did everything in my power to help them while I was in the Capitol, but now that I am with them, I want to do something. I don't care where you send me, even if it's to the Capitol-"

"I can't," Coin said abruptly. "I can't send you three to there. We can't go into the Capitol until we control District 2."

"Then send us to Two," Katniss said. "We can rally our troops, or call out to the Loyalists. You've seen what we can do."

"Yes I have," Coin nodded. She dismissed us, but I stayed seated. Danielle glanced at me, and I silently gestured for her to leave, and I would be there shortly. Coin noticed me, and raised her eye brows. "Yes?" she asked.

"Snow must pay for what he has done to my sister and this country," I responded bitterly. "I have heard stories that she hasn't told anyone else. Horrific stories of what happened to her under Snow's command." I took a breath, and with venom dripping from my words, I stated, "I want him to pay, and I want to kill him."

Coin nodded, "I'll see what I can do. Meanwhile, go and prepare for District 2." I nodded and walked out and met up with the others.

We had a few days to prepare to fly over to District 2. We had a team of forces come with us, along with Cressida and her team, Boggs, and Beetee and Gale as a military strategist. Jacob was due to fly with us as a strategist as well, but dropped last minute. So with the team we had, we hopped on hovercrafts and flew over to District 2.

It was a long flight over to Two. When she wasn't sleeping, Danielle talked to Cressida the majority of the flight, getting to know her more. I stayed with Katniss part of the time. Though I finally had my sister back, it sometimes hurt watching her. While the Danielle I knew was still there, so many parts of her had changed, and it was painful to see those parts; many hardened by what she had endured. Katniss sensed this, and made sure to stick close to me if Danielle was unavailable.

I had almost fallen asleep when the announcement was made that we were to touch down soon. Katniss sat up in the bunk beside me, and looked questioningly toward the back of the hovercraft. I too heard voices, and followed Katniss to investigate them. Beyond the bunks, Beetee and Gale were discussing different strategies. "This one is designed to blind," I heard Gale's voice say. "The smoke clings to the eyes." He pointed down to the computer screen and said, "That's an application of the hummingbird trap. You scare people so they flee in this direction to what they think is a safe haven."

"Two tiered explosion," Beetee commented.

Gale nodded, "Allow the medical team enough time to rush in and help the wounded, then-"

"A second bomb," I finished in disgusted realization.

Beetee and Gale whipped their heads in Katniss's and mine direction, and Gale simply said, "Right." He pointed again at the computer, and started to say, "The second one goes off here-"

Katniss cut him off and said, "I guess there aren't rules any more of what a person can do to another person." She crossed her arms in disgust, and I glared at Gale.

His eyes darted between the two of us, before he said, "I don't think Snow used any rule book when he tried to brainwash Danielle." My voice caught in my throat, and Katniss put a hand in front of me before I could step any closer to him. She clutched my hand, and started to pull me away, glaring back at Gale before walking to our bunk.

Shortly thereafter, at the break of dawn, we landed in District 2. We were greeted by Corporal Homes before lead to the rebel headquarters in Two. There, we met Lyme, a formal victor and leader of the rebels in District 2. Once we arrived, we began a video meeting with Coin.

"President Coin," Lyme began, "we are indebted to you for the reinforcements and the Mockingjay, but I don't think anyone outside of Two knows what we've been up against. This is the Nut," she said as a hologram appeared in front of her, "the Capitol's headquarters for all offensive operations. It is manned by both military and civilian personnel from District 2. As you can see," she continued as the hologram continued to change in front of her, "the fortress lies so far beneath the bedrock that it's untouchable." She paused before saying, "Yesterday, we attempted to take the northeastern gate. The enemy countered from higher up, and we were forced to pull back. We took heavy losses."

"Could we create a decoy?" a commander asked. "Send troops towards one gate while you start an attack on another."

"Whose troops do you suppose for the decoy, Commander?" Paylor asked.

"We have the Mockingjays," Coin stated. "Don't underestimate them. We could use them to erode support. They may be able to sway some of the Loyalists."

Danielle glanced at me uncomfortably as Lyme said, "You have been underground a long time Madame Coin, this isn't like the rest of Panem. Support for the Capitol runs deep here."

"Then there is no sacrifice too great," Coin said. I saw anger glaze over Danielle's eyes as Coin said, "We need to control the arsenal inside that fortress. Even with every district and its alliance, we are outgunned."

"I won't commit my people to a ground assault just to pillage weapons," Paylor said.

"Commander Paylor," Coin began, "your people have suffered more than just about anyone else at the hands of the Capitol."

"Which is why I won't condone a mass suicide," Paylor countered.

"If we don't take District 2, we won't get into the Capitol," Coin stated.

"It would be enough to disable the fortress, instead of taking it," Gale said as Danielle turned and glared at him.

"What do you have in mind?" Paylor asked.

"You think of it like a wolf den," Gale began. "You're not going to fight your way in, so you've got two choices. You trap the wolves inside or you flush them out. If we can't attack straight on, couldn't we use the hovercraft to strike around it? We could use the mountains; they have weak spots in the peaks."

"You could design the bombs using seismic data," Beetee added.

"To trigger avalanches," Paylor finished. Danielle started to say something, and Katniss gave her a warned, but equally angered stare.

"We block all exists and cut off their supplies," Gale continued. "You make it impossible for them to launch their hovercraft."

"Essentially burry them alive," Paylor commented.

"We'd forfeit any chance to control the weapons," Coin stated.

"Yes, but we'd face a weakened Capitol," Beetee countered.

"There are civilians in there," Boggs commented. "They should be given a chance to surrender."

"And I know for a fact that there are rebel spies in that Nut," Danielle said, anger beginning to drip from her words. "You can't burry your own people."

"Let's use one of the supply tunnels for the evacuation," Boggs said, glancing at Danielle trying to warn her to calm down.

"It wasn't a luxury we were given when they firebombed Twelve," Gale stated.

"It doesn't matter," Danielle countered. "You don't kill innocent people, and you certainly don't kill your own people!"

"That's enough, Danielle," Coin said sternly.

Katniss looked up at Gale anxiously and said, "There's got to be a better way."

"I suggest we try the avalanche," Coin said, "but leave the train tunnel alone. Civilians can escape into the square where our armies will be waiting for their surrender."

"And we should have every available medic standing by," Paylor commented.

"And if they won't surrender?" Lyme asked.

"Then we will need compelling voices to persuade them," Coin answered. And with that, the video meeting ended, and the plan was set in motion. Danielle stormed off and vanished before I could catch up with her. So I found Katniss and waited anxiously with her.

"Danielle stepped over her bounds," Katniss said in a low tone. "And I know Coin won't appreciate that." I swallowed, worried at what Katniss meant by her statement.

We sat together until nightfall. We heard the hovercrafts' engines power up and Katniss and I both stood up and walked towards the window. Danielle was already standing by the window, watching with a disgusted face as the hovercrafts rose into the air. I heard footsteps behind us, but I didn't acknowledge them.

The footsteps stopped as Gale spoke, "What difference is it? Crushing the enemy with a mine or blowing them out of the sky with one of Beetee's arrows? It's the same thing."

"We were under attack in District 8," Katniss stated. "And that hovercraft wasn't filled with civilians."

"It doesn't matter," Gale countered. I slowly turned toward Gale as he continued, "Even if the civilians are just mopping floors, they're helping the enemy. If they have to die, I can live with that. No one who supports the Capitol is innocent."

"What about those rebel spies that are captured in there?" Danielle growled. "They aren't helping the enemy. They were trying to help the rebellion. But you certainly were ready to bury them alive too."

Gale shrugged his shoulders. "Sometimes, even your own people need to be sacrificed for the greater good," Gale said. "It's unfortunate for sure, but sometimes, even your own people have to die."

"With that kind of thinking, you can kill whoever you want," Katniss said angrily. "You can send kids off to the Hunger Games to keep the districts in line."

"It's the same kind of poisonous thinking that has kept Snow in power," Danielle added. "The same mindset that has destroyed families for over seventy-five years; what has allowed Snow to murder many of his own allies and officials. It's what we're trying to stamp out." Danielle looked out towards the Nut as bombs began to go off. Katniss hung her head and closed her eyes, her back now towards the window.

"It's war," Gale said. "Sometimes killing isn't personal." He turned towards Katniss and Danielle and added, "Figured if anyone knew that, it would be the two of you."

Danielle's head turned toward Gale, her eyes burning with hatred. "How dare you," she growled.

"We of all people know that it's _always_ personal," Katniss snarled. The other soldiers began to cheer as more bombs went off. I turned to face the window and watched as the mountain crumbled. The soldiers began to chant, "Hoorah!" as more and more bombs were launched into the mountain side. I looked up at Danielle, who simply shook her head, watching too as the mountain crumbled.

We waited some time for the attack to finish and for the dust to settle before we began to load up for the propo. Danielle strapped on her throwing knife belt and Katniss and I slung the quivers over our shoulders. And as late night changed into early morning, we began to walk toward the Nut.

Haymitch, Gale, Boggs, and of course, the film crew joined us as we walked towards the "set" that was created. We passed by numerous soldiers on the way, all with their guns drawn and at the ready. Boggs calmly looked over at us and said, "Don't worry guys, there will be survivors." Katniss looked over at Boggs as we continued walking. You could see the empathy in his eyes as Katniss looked away, almost numb.

"Now, let's focus on this propo," Haymitch began. "Coin asked you, Katniss, to do this propo, since you are more authoritative than Avi, and Danielle's a little new." He looked up briefly, something in his eyes making me think otherwise about the decision to not include Danielle. He looked back down and pulled out a couple of cards and said, "Now, Plutarch wrote a speech-"

"I'm not saying that," Katniss interrupted.

"Ok, didn't think so," Haymitch replied as he tossed the cards into the wind. "Let's uh," Haymitch paused as he stopped walking and turned to face Katniss. "Just remember that you're talking to everybody. Not just the rebels, but the Capitol and the survivors in Two. We want them to lay down their arms. So, you may want to experiment with a little bit of sensitivity and warmth." Haymitch gave a slight smile as he put a hand on Katniss's shoulder.

"Quick, you're exposed," Boggs said as Katniss walked towards the train tunnel entrance. Danielle and I stood back with Haymitch and Boggs as Katniss stopped and stared into the train tunnel.

She slowly turned back around towards the camera crew and said, "This is Katniss Everdeen, speaking to all of the Loyalists from the heart of District 2."

"Survivors!" a soldier yelled before Katniss could say anything else. She turned around to face the train tunnel as the train's headlights began to shine towards us.

Boggs turned to us and said, "Wait here with Haymitch." Haymitch gestured for us to walk back with him as Boggs ran towards Katniss. He grabbed her arm and said, "We have to get you back." They turned to walk back as other soldiers began to yell. Katniss turned and walked backwards as the train pulled in closer and closer. Danielle and I had stopped walking and turned around to see what was going on.

The train slowed to a halt as the survivors jumped off the train, hands in the air in surrender. "Weapons down!" soldiers yelled, guns pointed at the survivors. "Get on the ground! Put your weapons down NOW!" The survivors started dropping to the ground, others pushed to the ground by soldiers.

One survivor jumped from the train, gun at the ready. "Drop the gun!" Boggs yelled as the man walked towards Katniss, Danielle, and I. "Drop the gun! Drop it!" Shots rang out as the man fell to the ground.

"Stop!" Katniss screamed as she ran towards the wounded man. "Stop!"

"Hold your fire!" Boggs screamed. I started to move closer to see what was going on, Danielle putting a hand in front of me to stop me as she too watched nervously at the action taking place.

"Stop!" Katniss yelled a third time, as she dropped to the ground next to the man. "He needs help!" Katniss yelled.

Before she could say anything else, the man cocked his gun and held it to Katniss's neck. I gasped, starting to run forward before Danielle grabbed my arm. I looked back up at her fearful face, as she moved her hand down to mine and held it. "Drop it!" Boggs yelled, aiming his gun at the man.

"Give me one reason I shouldn't shoot you," the man demanded. I felt the tears sting as he shakily held the gun to Katniss's neck. I squeezed Danielle's hand.

Katniss paused before she said, "I can't." My jaw dropped and I squeezed Danielle's hand and my eyes closed, waiting for the sound of the gun. But it never sounded as Katniss continued, "I guess that's the problem isn't it? We blew up your mine. You burned my district to the ground. We each have every reason to want to kill each other." Katniss took a breath, her tone turning to a growl. "So if you want to kill me, do it. Make Snow happy. I am _tired_ of killing his slaves for him."

"I am not his slave," the man said, lowering his gaze to his gun.

"I am," Katniss stated as the man's eyes darted back up to hers. "That's why I killed Cato, and he killed Thresh, and Thresh killed Clove. It just goes around and around, and who wins? Always Snow. I am _done_ being a piece in his game. District 12, District 2, we have no fight, except the one the Capitol gave us." Katniss gave a softer tone as she asked, "Why are you fighting the rebels; your neighbors, your family?" The man turned away from Katniss and dropped the gun. I let go of Danielle's hand and covered my mouth in shock. Katniss looked at him confused as he carefully scooted back away from her. She stood up and faced the other survivors. "These people," she began with a stern tone, "are not your enemy! We all have one enemy, and that's Snow! He corrupts everyone and everything! He turns the best of us against each other! Stop killing for him! Tonight, turn your weapons to the Capitol! Turn your weapons to Snow!"

The next few seconds were like a blur. Before anyone else did, I saw one of the survivors reaching for his gun. I ran towards Katniss as he aimed it at her, pushing her out of the way as he fired two rounds. The first hit my vest just below and to the left of my heart. The second hit below my vest, and I felt it tear into my lower abdomen. I fell to the ground on my side, clutching my wound with my hand. My left lung felt tight from the impact of the first bullet, and my entire chest ached as a result. But what alarmed me was the blood pooling onto my hands and the ground from the wound in my abdomen.

Danielle was on the ground beside me in seconds, despite the chaos happening above me. She gasped as she rolled me over onto my back, seeing the blood on the ground and my hands. "Dee," I grunted as she pulled my upper body into my lap.

"Let me see it," she said, her voice straining as she gently tried to move my hands away. She gasped seeing the wound, and she quickly applied pressure to it with her hand. "We're going to get you help, Av," she said, resting her free hand on my face. "Just hang in there."

Katniss slowly pulled herself up, almost in a daze of what just happened. She looked over at Danielle and I and gasped, quickly realizing what happened. She scrambled over to me, as Haymitch sprinted over to us as well. Katniss grabbed my hand, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm so sorry," she mouthed, looking both at me and Danielle.

"It's ok, K-Kat-" I stuttered before I began coughing up blood. I struggled to take ragged breaths before I would cough more blood. I finally caught my breath, as Danielle laid me back down in her lap, gently cradling my head with her free hand.

"Easy there kiddo," Haymitch said looking down at me. "Try not to talk too much. Save your energy, help will be here soon." I nodded weakly, and Katniss squeezed my hand.

Danielle stroked my cheek and said with a strained voice, "Focus on Katniss and I. Hang in there Av, _please_ stay with me." I saw my vision swim as I tried to grip Katniss's hand harder, desperately trying to keep a grip on reality. But it was no use. I was losing too much blood to remain conscious. "Stay with me Av!" I heard Danielle yell, but it sounded so distant, even as she patted my cheek. Darkness crept into the corners of my vision, my grip on Katniss's hand loosened, no longer having the strength to grasp it. I couldn't fight it any longer; I felt my head loll to the side as darkness overtook me.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I woke up in a bright hospital room. I squinted, my eyes slowly becoming acquainted with the light. I looked over and saw Danielle fast asleep in a chair. I smiled, and tried to reach over and wake her up, but before I could reach her, I felt a sharp pain in my side and flopped back down on the bed with a grunt.

Danielle's eyes popped open, as she glanced down at me, clutching my side. "Hey," she said calmly, putting her hand on my shoulder, "are you ok?"

"Yeah," I said, trying to relax myself as the pain ebbed away. "I just stretched my body too far and hurt my side. I guess I kind of forgot I got shot." I gave a pained chuckle as I looked down at the bandages around my chest and abdomen.

"Shot twice actually," Danielle stated, standing up to inject some more pain medicine into my IV. "You have some bruising on your ribs and left lung, and the bullet did enough damage that they had to remove your kidney and part of your pancreas. But Mrs. Everdeen said you should be ok." Danielle looked down at me with a small smile. She gently grabbed my hand and said, "Don't ever do something like that again. You scared the crap out of me." Her tone got quiet, as she looked down momentarily before saying, "I thought I was going to lose you." I looked down momentarily before looking up to meet Danielle's eyes, both rimmed in tears. I felt the back of my eyes prick as I held my arms open, and Danielle bent down and hugged me. I felt her shaking a bit and wetness on my gown, and I gently squeezed her, careful not to put any more stress on my wound. Finally, Danielle stood up, wiping her tears away. She smiled at me and said, "I better go, I promised everyone else that I would let them know when you woke up. They were all worried sick you know." She gave me another smile, before squeezing my hand and saying, "Get some rest, and I'll be back to check up on you in just a few minutes. I love you."

"I will, and I love you too," I replied, squeezing her hand in return before she walked out of the room.

I sighed, letting my eyes wander around the room as I tried to relax. I felt the pain medicine kicking in, and I began to feel groggy. But before I could let myself drift to sleep, I was startled alert by a voice to my left saying, "Are you the Mockingjay that was shot? Aviana?"

Confused, I turned to see a curtain, separating me from whom I could only assume was the voice's owner. "Yes," I said with an uncertain tone. "And you are?"

"I'm Ryker," the voice replied. "I was one of the spies rescued from District 2."

"Oh!" I said surprised. "They were able to get to you guys?"

"Yep," Ryker answered. "There were five of us, but I was the only one who could come out of ICU. The others were injured pretty badly."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I said. I paused before asking, "So what's your story? Why did you join the rebellion?"

I heard Ryker sigh. "It isn't a pretty story," he said solemnly. "My older sister was reaped for the 71st Hunger Games. But during those games, something happened. I'm not exactly sure what it was, all I know is that a bunch of peacekeepers showed up in my district and that my parents told me to go to District 13, and that they would catch up to me. I was too young and too scared to question them, I was only 14. And so I found District 13 and joined their ranks. Because I was small and cunning, they trained me to be a spy. But I kept thinking about my parents, hoping and praying that they would join me soon. Even my sister, I hoped and prayed that she would be the victor of that year's Games. But I never heard news about my sister, and my parents never came. I resigned myself to the fact that my family was dead, killed by the Capitol. So I threw myself wholeheartedly into my training. I did many spy missions, but they sent me to Two almost a year ago. They captured me, but I guess President Coin was never able to rescue me until this past attack."

"What happened at District 2?" I asked.

"We're not going to talk about that," Ryker responded. "But in case you were ever curious, it was horrible."

"I'm sorry," I said. I felt the grogginess weigh on me like an elephant, and I gave a much too loud yawn as I tried to stay awake.

"Tired, are you?" Ryker asked chuckling.

"Yeah," I chuckled. "My sister gave me some pain drugs before she left, and I guess they make you sleepy."

"Well, I'll let you get some rest," Ryker answered. "You definitely deserve it and need it! It was nice talking to you."

"You too," I said with a smile as I laid my head back down on my pillow. It didn't take me very long to fall asleep.

In the week to come, if I was awake and without a visitor, I spent my time talking to Ryker. Though I had never seen his face, we quickly became friends. I found out that he was a just a couple years older than me, and he was from District 7. He seemed to be a very nice person, and when he was released a few days before me, I determined that I would find him. But that would have to wait.

The day I was released, Coin asked for a meeting with Danielle and I. Danielle walked with me from my hospital room to Coin's conference room. We entered the room to find Plutarch and Coin already seated at the table. The two of us sat down across from them, Danielle making sure I was ok before sitting herself.

"I think all we have left so say is, thank you," Coin began after Danielle was seated. "Now, as I'm sure you've heard, we are sending Katniss and Peeta, along with Johanna, Morganne, and Jacob to the Capitol to fight with the troops."

"I want to go with them," I said sternly.

"No," Coin countered, "you have done your job. You, Danielle, and Katniss have all been very successful as our Mockingjay Trio. We've unified the districts. And now, we want you to rest and to heal, with your sisters by your side."

"The last the rebels saw me," I began, "I was lying on the ground bleeding out."

"Aviana," Plutarch began, "we're not going to let this momentum go to waste. We have Katniss on the ground with the troops, and you and Danielle will shoot more propos right here in Thirteen, showing them that you're alive."

"We should be with the troops," I stated.

"It will be like being on the front lines," Plutarch said.

"As far as the soldiers know," Coin began, "you saved Katniss's life and in turn took and survived a bullet to the heart and abdomen. I think they'll understand why you're not with them." I started to say something, but Coin continued, "When we win this war, we'll fly you both in for the surrender. We'll need you both for the ceremony, you're very valuable to us."

"It'll be ok, Av," Danielle said, for once looking pleased about a decision Coin made for a change. "We'll still get to help while you continue to recover from your surgery. You wouldn't be ready to fight now anyway, and this way, we get to be safe here, together, in Thirteen."

I looked away for a minute, before nodding and looking at Coin, saying, "I'll do whatever you need me to do."

"Excellent," Coin said before dismissing us.

The day after I was released was Finnick and Annie's wedding. It was a small, but beautiful service, filmed as a propo for all of Panem to see. Though they weren't a huge part of the Mockingjay team, I had become friends with the couple, as Annie absolutely adored Bri, and would often volunteer to babysit her when Danielle, Klarissa, or I couldn't watch her. In fact, though they didn't have any bridesmaids or groomsmen, they asked if Bri would be the flower girl; and though I may be biased, she was the most adorable flower girl I had ever seen. Though I had a great time dancing at the wedding, even if I was a little sore from my surgery, I was a bit distracted. I had gotten word that they were sending a hovercraft with supplies to the troops at the Capitol early that morning, and I was determined not to let what Coin commanded hold me back from being with the troops during this war. I was getting on that hovercraft.

I told Danielle that I wasn't feeling well, and that I was going to take pain medicine and lay down. Without hesitation, she nodded and I snuck away from the wedding. Instead of going up to the floor that my compartment was on, I went down to the hangar that this hovercraft was in. I hid behind weapons and supplies, watching for the perfect moment to dash on board. A few minutes went by, and the last of the workers walked off the hovercraft as the hovercraft's engines roared to life. I crept around behind the corner, and ran on board, barely making it before the doors closed. I sat down, my back against a box of medical supplies. I clutched my side, a burning, aching pain surrounding my healing wound. _Maybe I should have listened to them,_ I thought briefly. But I shook my head, _No, it's too late now. I will fight, and I will kill President Snow._


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

A few hours later, I felt the hovercraft release the cargo holder I was in. I sat still for a few minutes, waiting for the door to open. Once it did, I slowly got up and walked off towards a crowd of soldiers. I kept my head down, hoping not to draw attention to myself. It didn't work, as I could see and feel the crowd surround me. I finally stopped and looked up, as the entire crowd encompassed me, each soldier holding a three finger solute for me.

I was distracted by my thoughts as I heard someone touch my shoulder, and I turned around to see Morganne. "Hey," she said as she hugged me. "I thought Coin said you weren't supposed to be here, and that you needed to recover."

"She did," I stated. Morganne looked surprised by my response, as she guided me away from the crowd.

"Is Danielle here too?" Morganne asked when we were away from the crowd.

"No," I answered. "And as far as I know, she isn't coming."

Morganne's eyes widened. "You got to get on the next hovercraft and go back," she said almost frantic. "You know she's freaking out and will be ticked when she finds out."

"I know," I said. I looked at her with a fiercely determined stare and said, "But I'm not going back. I am here to fight. And I am going to kill Snow."

Morganne looked taken aback. She paused, before finally nodding and saying, "Alright, you win. But I will not protect you from the wrath of Danielle."

"Fair enough," I said. Morganne lead me to the main camp and I found an empty tent to crash in. The rest of the soldiers would arrive tomorrow, just in time to gather to hear Commander Paylor's speech and then be assigned our units. And in the meantime, I slept, knowing I would need every ounce of sleep possible to be ready for the days to come.

The next morning, we awoke early and gathered in front of a large building. While most of us filled the area in front of the building, many soldiers were situated on top of the surrounding buildings. A make do stage was made with a screen behind it. I filed in next to Morganne and Johanna as Paylor took the stage.

"I am Commander Paylor of District 8," Paylor began. "I am a soldier like all of you, so here's what I know. For the first time in our lifetimes, we are standing together with thirteen districts. From what I see here, we've already made history." The soldiers all began to clap and cheer for a few moments before Paylor raised her hand to quiet them. "But history doesn't stop to celebrate," she continued. "And we are facing an enemy that will never change and will never surrender. President Snow has pulled back peacekeepers to fortify the center of the city. He is evacuating residents from the outer blocks. These civilians will be confused and desperate. You are under orders not to target them." She gestured toward a group of troops in different uniforms and said, "We are deploying medical brigades to help anyone in need. We will show the Capitol people who we are. To slow our advance, President Snow is building a minefield of traps and lethal devices called 'pods'. The sadistic inventions of game makers made to make sport of our deaths. If our armies make it past peacekeepers and other defenses, we will converge in the center of the city, where we won't just unlock his gates, but unshackle all of Panem." The army began to cheer again, and Paylor gave them a few moments before declaring, "If we die, let it be for a cause, and not a spectacle. If we succeed, let it be for all of Panem, and let it be forever. Yes, you've already made history. But the future, _our_ future starts tomorrow at dawn, when we march together into the Capitol." The army cheered again as I focused on the map on the screen, specifically on the figure at the very center of the map; Snow's mansion.

The soldiers were dismissed to go back to camp. We slowly were all assigned our units. Morganne, Johanna, and I were all assigned to Squad 451. We walked over to our unit's base, and I walked into an empty tent and sat, preparing for my mission. As I began putting food and ammo into my backpack, I was startled by a voice saying, "Squad 451?" as footsteps drew closer to my tent. Chills and dread ran down my spine when I recognized the voice's owner.

As the footsteps stopped at the opening of my tent, I looked up to meet the person's face. I gulped nervously and shakily said, "Hey Danielle." My eyes widened as I remembered that she too was supposed to remain in District 13 and not join the troops. "What are you doing here?" I asked with a concerned tone.

"I could ask you the same thing," Danielle said with a stern tone, and diverted eye contact, bracing myself for the lecture to come. "Didn't I tell you not to do anything stupid again?" Danielle continued. "You know, Coin wasn't actually punishing you by not letting you be with the troops. You kind of just survived a gunshot wound and had an operation on it just over a week ago! You're in no condition to be fighting!"

I gulped, gathering courage before looking Danielle dead in the eyes and saying, "Do not underestimate me. I did not come all this way just to sit on the sidelines and do propos. I will fight, and I _will_ kill Snow.

Danielle looked at me shocked, taken aback by the authority I showed. She looked down before looking back at me and saying, "Well, I guess we just need to make sure we keep each other alive so we can both kill Snow."

I looked up at her with a smile, as she gave me a small wink before I heard a booming voice say, "Fleming, Jennison, come meet your new unit." I looked over to see a woman standing a little bit away from our tent. I glanced at Danielle before walking toward a larger tent with a table in the middle. We both walked over to her and she said, "I'm Lieutenant Jackson, and I want you to meet the Leeg sisters." She gestured to two twin sisters standing across the tent from us. She looked back at us and said, "The rest of your unit is on their way. I have a feeling you know them all already." I nodded as Danielle and I stood around the table. Morganne and Johanna walked over first, and Morganne glanced at Danielle, both shocked and confused, before being introduced to Jackson. Jacob and Gale walked over next, before Katniss and Peeta. They both gave me angered stares.

Danielle glanced at me and whispered, "They know, and they aren't too happy with you."

I looked down in shame, before looking up and noticing Finnick join us at the table. "Well that was a short honeymoon," I commented.

"Well," he started, "I guess we will have to have one in the Capitol after we take it."

"Gather around," Boggs said as he walked in with Cressida and her crew. "Squad 451, you are my unit. Lieutenant Jackson is my second in command. Each one of you is elite in some form of combat, but we are a noncombat unit. So we will be following days behind the frontline troops."

"You are to be the onscreen faces of the invasion," Cressida added. "The Star Squad. It is decided that you are most effective when seen by the masses."

"So we're not going to fight?" Gale asked with an aggravated tone.

"You'll do whatever you're ordered to do, Soldier," Boggs answered. "It's not your job to ask questions."

"Yes sir," Gale responded quietly.

"Our instructions is to shoot propaganda footage on the battle scared streets of the Capitol," Boggs continued. "You are handpicked to intimidate their forces."

"And inspire surrenders," Cressida added.

"Even though we will be working on abandoned streets miles behind the frontlines," Boggs continued, "I guarantee you, wherever they put us, it will not be safe. This is a war zone. It is likely that we will encounter both active pods and peacekeepers. You are considered high value targets to the Capitol. In the event of capture, you will be given a nightlock pill, a poison that acts immediately." He handed a box to Jackson and said, "Lieutenant Jackson, do the honors." As Jackson walked around, handing each of us a pill, Boggs continued, "I have already briefed you on the pods. I will remind you that they are on every block. Our unit has been given a hollow." He placed the device on a box, turned it on, and said, "It is a detailed map that gives the location of every known pod. These pods can trigger anything from bombs, to traps, to mutts. We cannot move without this device. We have no guarantee that our data base is complete. There could be new pods that we're not aware of. Because we don't want the game makers to know we have this intel, it has a self-destruct on it. You flip this switch, say 'nightlock' three times, and it blows itself and anything within a ten foot radius. Stay within our unit. Even with the hollow, it is likely that new pods have been set. Whatever they contain, they are meant to kill you."

Finnick walked over to Danielle and I and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Seventy-sixth Hunger Games."


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while since the last chapter. I live in Florida, and I had to evacuate due to Hurricane Matthew. My family is ok, and so is our house, but we were without internet for a while. Thankfully, we're all back to normal now. Anyway, let's get back to the story!**

* * *

Chapter 12

We stayed at base for a few days, allowing me to rest to be ready for when we are deployed. At dawn of the third day since the frontline troops left base, we began our march into the Capitol, walking across the hydro-electric dam and watching as bombs blow and smoke rise from flames inside the city. We continued as we entered the city, looking around at the ruin and destruction. We avoided pods and filmed the occasional propaganda footage as we continued to walk through the city. With an hour or so until sunset, we found an abandoned building and decided to set up camp for the night.

As we settled down, giving sometime to hydrate and eat, we heard a truck come in. "Is that peacekeepers?" Jacob asked as we all stood up and watched the truck come closer.

Jackson grabbed her radio and called into it, "451 to base, we have a truck coming in from the South." She paused for a minute as basically our entire unit walked outside to investigate. She heard a response and yelled, "Stand down everyone, it's friendly."

The truck slowed to a stop as the driver hopped out and opened up the back door. Another person hopped down and walked towards us. He made eye contact with me and smiled. I looked at him confused and asked, "Do I know you?"

"You should," he replied, "granted, we've never seen each other in person." I immediately recognized his voice.

"Hey Ryker," I said as I started to walk over to hug him. "It's so good to actually see-"

"Ryker?!" I was interrupted by Johanna, who walked up behind me and stopped, staring at Ryker.

"Johanna?!" Ryker responded. The two ran towards each other and hugged. I was confused momentarily before it finally clicked.

"His sister that was reaped for the Hunger Games," I said to myself.

"Wait, what's going on?" Morganne asked.

Johanna turned around with an arm over Ryker's shoulder and said, "This is my long lost little brother."

"Hello everyone," Ryker said waving. You could feel the entire atmosphere of the unit become less dense as we watched the family reunion.

"Welcome to the unit, Soldier," Jackson said as we began to walk back toward the building.

The sun began to set and we decided it was time to get some rest. Mostly everyone was assigned a watch, I was among the few that was allowed to sleep through the night. Danielle slept beside me in an attempt to keep an eye on me and help me feel more comfortable. But it was still a restless night, adrenaline still pumping through my veins from today's events.

I had no idea what time it was when I woke up. It was still dark, and chilly as the winter weather began to set in. I tried to scoot closer to Danielle for warmth, only to realize she wasn't there. I heard murmuring and I quietly crawled closer to the sound of the voices. I hid behind a corner as I saw Danielle and Boggs conversing, trying to keep quiet and not waking anyone up.

"Here's what I know, Danielle," Boggs whispered. "While Coin did appreciate you for helping alert us to the bombs, the only reason you were rescued is because she knew that Aviana's success with the propos was linked to you and the hope that you were alive. She knew that if she let you there to be executed by Snow, Aviana would lose the emotion that was so critical for the propos. And the only reason Coin even cared at all, was because Aviana was better at the propos than Katniss, and less of a threat than Katniss. Once she realized how head strong and confident you were, she realized that you might be even more of a threat than Katniss. The only reason she has really kept you around is to keep Aviana safe." Boggs paused before saying, "I say this because I need you to be careful. Once this war is over, she won't need Aviana's emotion, and she won't need you. And if she views you as a threat at all, I wouldn't put it past her to…eliminate you."

"Why do you say that?" Danielle asked.

Boggs paused and sighed before saying, "I don't know much. All I know is that there was more that could have been done for your mom, but when Coin saw the emotion that Aviana showed while she was sick, and the possible propo opportunity that she could use your mom's death for, Coin stopped treatment for your mom. She wasn't cruel, she allowed treatments for her to help your mom feel more comfortable. But your mom would probably be alive today if it weren't for Coin. She didn't need your mom, and she wasn't above allowing her to die to fuel this rebellion. At this point, the propos aren't really needed, and they certainly can be done without you. There's only one thing that you can do to fire up this rebellion."

"Die," Danielle whispered.

"That's not going to happen on my watch," Boggs said. "I revived you once, and I plan on you living a long life. Your sisters need you, and you've earned it."

I turned away from Boggs, trying to remind myself to breathe. I felt the tears prick the back of my eyes and I couldn't even hold back as I began to sob. I crawled back over to where I had been sleeping, tears blurring my vision as I laid my head back against the broken wall. _Surely Boggs can't be right,_ I thought. _But even if he is wrong, do I want a woman like that becoming the new president of Panem?_ I let my thoughts wonder as I drifted back to sleep.

We awoke the next morning to begin heading towards our next destination. We were searching for the best place to film a new propo. We walked along streets and under breezeways until we found a nice grassy courtyard behind a building. Boggs called to clear it before we began filming. We followed him as he scanned with the hollow until the hollow began to beep as he aimed it between two buildings.

"Split, take cover," Boggs said as we split and hid along the side of both buildings. "Stay back," Boggs commanded as he threw a rock between the two buildings. Instantly two guns started firing, aimed at the breezeway we just walked through. We hunkered down and waited for the guns to finish firing. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the guns stopped and went back into the walls. Boggs stood up and looked down the hallway and said, "All clear! Gale, Jacob, with me. Leegs, take the wings." We all stayed crouched as they walked through the hallway. Suddenly, there was a loud explosion as we heard Boggs cry out.

"Boggs!" I cried as I ran towards Boggs. I felt Danielle grab my arm, but I pulled away.

"Jennison, no!" Jackson yelled.

I got to Boggs, his legs gone and his eyes wide in pain, "The hollow!" he called out. I grabbed it and handed it to him. He pressed a button and said, "Unfit for command, transfer primary security clearance." He held the hollow closer to me and said, "Say your name."

"Aviana Jennison," I said. Something appeared on the hollow and I looked frantically at Boggs. "What did you just do?" I asked.

"Aviana," Boggs grunted, "don't trust them. Keep your sister safe. Do what you came to do."

"Boggs?" I whispered as I saw his eyes glaze over and his body go limp.

"He's gone," I heard Jacob say as Gale frantically tried to apply pressure to Boggs's wounds. I turned around and saw everyone standing behind us, watching from the other side of the hallway.

I could hear one of the Leeg sisters cry out in pain, and her sister began to run to her aid. She stepped on a tile and froze as the tile sank below her. The passageways into the courtyard began to close up. No sooner that they were closed, a black oily substance began to fill the courtyard. "Go, go, go!" Ryker yelled as we rain from the substance. Gale shot down the door to a random building and we all ran inside and up the stairs. The oil continued to follow us into the building as we rain the small floor up the stairs. We all huddled together as we watched the oil continue to rise towards us.

"It's slowing down," Cressida noticed as the oil climbed the last few stairs before licking the ground before us and slowly beginning to reside. Jacob carefully set the injured Leeg sister on the ground as Cressida said, "The game makers are still putting on quite a show."

"451 to base, over," Jackson began saying into her radio.

"We better move," Gale said. "If peacekeepers didn't know where we are, they do now. Those security cameras caught us." I looked down at the hollow in my hand, and Danielle gave me a confused look. "This is a bad spot, we need to move now," Gale added.

"I can't get a signal," Jackson said as she put the radio away. "But I can get us back to base. Jennison, give me the hollow." I just stared at her as Jackson said again, "Jennison, what did I just say? Come on, give me the hollow, let's go."

"Boggs gave it to me," I said.

"What are you talking about?" Jackson asked.

"He did," Jacob commented. "He transferred security clearance to her. I saw him."

"And why would he do that?" Jackson asked.

"I am on special orders from Coin," I stated.

"To do what?" Jackson demanded.

"To assassinate President Snow," I answered.

Jackson paused before saying, "I don't believe that for one second. And as your new unit commander, I command you to transfer security clearance to me now."

"I can't do that," I said. I saw Jackson reach for her gun, and Danielle immediately pulled her gun out and aimed it at her, releasing the safety as several others pulled their guns out, some aiming it at Danielle, others also aiming it Jackson.

"Let's not lose our heads here," Danielle snarled as she aimed his gun at Jackson.

"I am not asking you again, Jennison," Jackson said, leveling the gun with my face. "Give me the hollow." I felt anxiousness as I prepared to be shot.

"She's telling the truth," Cressida said as she stepped in front of me. "Plutarch wants it televised. He thinks that if we film one of the Mockingjays assassinating Snow, it will make the Capitol surrender before the casualties get to high."

"While we're arguing," Jacob began, his gun leveled at the Leeg sister who had her gun aimed at Danielle, "there's a hundred peacekeepers on their way here."

I lowered Danielle's gun as I stepped in front of her and said, "Boggs promised me that when the time came you would help me."

Jackson stared at me for a little bit before lowering her gaze and lowering her gun. She nodded and said, "Alright Soldier, the hollow's yours."

Gale walked over to the stairs and stepped one foot onto the oil residue and then stepping back on the floor. "I don't think we're going to leave any footprints," he noted. "We should move now. Those cameras should be covered up by the oil."

"She can't move forward like this," Jacob said as he knelt beside Leeg 2. "Her leg is too bad. We have to evacuate her." He looked at Leeg 1 and said, "I'm sorry."

"I'll stay with her," Leeg 1 said, holding her sister's leg.

Jackson knelt down in front of the sisters and said, "As soon as we make contact, we will send someone back. I promise you." She stood up and said, "Alright everybody, let's move out!" Gale led the way as we walked down the stairs and out into the courtyard. Everything was black and slick from the oil. Gale walked up towards a door and burst the glass with the butt of his gun. We ran into the building and up the stairs of what appeared to be an abandoned house. "Get these curtains closed!" Jackson yelled as Katniss and Johanna ran to close them. No sooner did we close the curtains did peacekeepers show up, headed towards the building we left the Leegs in. They lined up in formation, guns aimed at the building. Gunfire sounded from within the building as a few peacekeepers fell to the ground.

"It's the Leegs," Finnick stated as he peaked from behind a curtain. Gunfire continued to be exchanged between the peacekeepers and the Leegs until the peacekeepers began to move back and a missile was fired into the building, causing it to collapse on itself. I felt a numbness wash over me as Katniss fell to her knees in front of the window. Everyone sat down in front of the windows in varying degrees of sorrow.

The screen in the center of the room came to life as Caesar Flickerman appeared on the screen. "He doesn't look himself," Danielle noted.

"Good afternoon," Caesar began in a stiff tone. "I'm Caesar Flickerman here with our continuing coverage of the defense of the Capitol. Today, as our peacekeepers valiantly hold off the rebels, our story takes a surprising twist." The screen showed footage of our unit running from the oil as Caesar continued, "Katniss Everdeen and Aviana Jennison has infiltrated our city with many of the victors, whose names are all too familiar; Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Finnick Odair, and Johanna Mason. Our sweet Aviana Jennison, once so innocent, now blindly being led astray by people she might call role models and friends." Caesar popped back on the screen before saying, "Take a look at what happened just a moment ago, when our peacekeepers cornered these foolish rebels. Whatever arrogance brought them back to us, you are about to witness a great victory, not only for the Capitol, but for Panem." The screen showed the events that happened just moments ago, and I turned away, not wanting to re-watch the murder of the Leegs. The screen switched back to Caesar and he said, "So there you have it. Katniss Everdeen the girl on fire, and Aviana Jennison, our burning ember, girls that have inspired so much violence seam to have met violent ends."

"So now that we're dead, what are we going to do?" Gale asked.

"I guess the good news is that we're no longer targets," I commented.

"But if we're seen by a camera," Danielle countered, "they'll know we're alive."

"Let's camp out here for now," Jackson said. "We'll figure out a plan later." So with that, we rested. As night started to settle in, Danielle found some food in the kitchen and brought it out for us to eat. There were all sorts of things for us to choose from; even foods I didn't know existed were there.

"I don't really think I understood the Capitol until now," Gale said. "If you eat like this, people would believe anything."

The screen came to life again as the anthem of the fallen began to play. "I could have gone without ever hearing that again," I whispered to Danielle as cannon noises sounded and each of our faces appeared on the screen; from Cressida for the Capitol to Katniss for District 12.

"That would be the second time a cannon has sounded for me," Danielle commented with a whisper.

"Don't remind me," I whispered back giving her a small glare as Snow appeared on the screen.

"So," Snow began, "Katniss Everdeen, a poor, unstable girl with nothing more than a small talent with a bow and arrow, is dead. She drug along with her Aviana Jennison, a girl with so much potential to be so much more than buried under rubble and remembered as a violent rebel. But what was Aviana to do? She was tricked into believing that this Katniss Everdeen, simply plucked from the masses has something important to say. Her innocence and Katniss's reputation as a rebel were extremely valuable to your rebellion because you have no vision, no true leader among you. You would choose follow two teenagers who have no wisdom to your deaths, and the deaths of so many innocent civilians."

Snow was interrupted as the screen began to crackle to life and the screen transitioned from Snow's face to Coin's. Coin began to speak, "For those of you who don't know me, please allow me to introduce myself. I am President Alma Coin, leader of the rebellion. I have interrupted a broadcast by your president in which he attempted to defame two brave young women. Faces picked from the masses, he called them, as if leaders, true leaders, could be anything else. I had the privilege of knowing two small town girls from the seem in District 12, both surviving their own Hunger Games and rose up and together turned a nation of slaves into an army." Her voice became strained as she continued, "Dead or alive, Katniss Everdeen and Aviana Jennison will remain the faces of this revolution. They will not have died for nothing."

"I never knew I meant so much to her," Katniss muttered, her eyes fixed on the screen.

"Yeah, and notice she hasn't even mentioned my name," Danielle added. She turned away and muttered to herself, "I guess I am some sort of failure or threat to both of them."

"Their vision and ours will be realized," Coin continued as her voice became stern, "a free Panem with self-determination for all. And in their memory, we will all find the strength to rid Panem of its oppressors. Thank you and be safe." Coin faded from the screen as Katniss and my faces were shown, with a banner reading, "Remember the Mockingjays" as Rue's four note whistle played in the background.

"Snow's in his mansion," Danielle said as she stood up and walked over to me. "Av, turn on the hollow," she asked as I turned on the hollowed map. Everyone gathered around us and looked at the map as Danielle pointed at a building on the map and said, "That's us," and pointing to another spot said, "and that's the city circle."

"It's at least seventy, seventy-five blocks north," Cressida commented as Danielle nodded.

"No one knows we're alive," Katniss stated. "This is our chance." She pointed to some buildings on the map and asked, "Do these buildings overlook Snow's gardens?"

"They do," Aly answered.

"I could get a good shot from there," Danielle commented.

"We're getting ahead of ourselves," Jackson said. "Whether they're looking for us or not, we are pinned down. Scan for pods." I pressed the button and hundreds of little orange dots appeared on the map.

"Just about every ten steps," Jacob noted.

"That doesn't even show the new ones," Gale added.

"So we can't go anywhere in the streets," Ryker said.

"And the rooftops are just as bad," Jackson added.

I looked up as Haley gestured to Logan. Logan thought for a moment before she said, "There might be another way. Underground. My sister knows the sanitation tunnels really well. She worked sanitation right after they made her an avox."

Jackson glanced at Logan and Haley before nodding and saying, "Then lead the way."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Haley led the way towards the nearest tunnel entrance, which was near a set of train tracks. Haley opened the passage door that revealed a latter going down to the tunnels. We quickly filed in, barely making it inside before a train traveled over the tracks above us. We all were gathered around the ladder as Logan climbed down the ladder. Haley stood away from us, seemingly very anxious.

Logan walked over to her and said, "You ok?" I could hear Haley's shaky breathing as Logan said, "Look at me, we're going to get through this. It will be ok." Haley nodded as she took one last deep breath and began to walk down the tunnel. "It took her five years to find her way out of here," Logan commented. "She didn't see the sun once." I looked wide eyed, not realizing until then what Haley had gone through, and how Logan was the only person that was keeping Haley sane.

I was snapped from my thoughts as we began to follow Haley down the tunnels. We came across a subway track and continued walking along it. I took the lead as I continued to scan for pods. I froze for a split second and then sprinted toward a wall as I heard a train coming. Everyone followed me, hiding behind the wall as the train went past us. Danielle looked over at Haley and said, "We're too exposed here." Haley thought for a minute before she gestured for us to follow her as she sprinted towards a door. She opened it and we followed her as she led us down to the water management system below the subways. We went down narrow tunnel ways and through water as we attempted to make our way towards Snow's mansion. Haley continued to lead the way, me following close behind as I continued to scan for pods.

We found a small, dry alcove down the tunnel and Jackson order, "Let's stop here and get some rest." We climbed up and all huddled in to the small area as Jackson added, "I'll take first watch." I sat down next to Danielle and took a deep breath.

"You ok?" Danielle asked me. I nodded as Danielle then asked, "You're lying to me, aren't you?"

"No," I replied. "Just a little sore I guess. And I guess I'm suffering from a bit of a crash after an adrenaline high."

Danielle nodded and said, "That's understandable." She saw my eyelids drooping and said, "Why don't you get some rest kiddo? You need your energy, you have a president to kill, remember?"

I nodded as I laid my head on Danielle's shoulder. "I love you," I muttered.

"I love you too," Danielle said back. I shivered and Danielle wrapped her arm across my shoulders. It wasn't long before I fell asleep.

I'm not sure how long I was asleep before I was awoken as I felt Danielle stiffen and lean forward, looking towards the tunnel. "What's wrong?" I asked in a whisper, trying not to alert anyone else. Danielle held her hand up, quieting me as she continued to listen. I could hear distant groaning growls as a sickening feeling settled in my stomach.

Danielle quickly stood up as she yelled, "Mutts! They've released mutts!" Everyone shot up as she asked, "Haley, what's the fastest way out?" Haley and Gale jumped in front as Gale shot his crossbow down the tunnel, revealing it to be empty. Jackson stayed in the back, using a flashlight to watch for mutts from behind. Haley walked towards a small narrow crevice that she crawled through. She got to the other side and looked around, before signaling for us to follow. One by one, we all began to crawl through the crevice. Jackson continued to stand in the back, watching to make sure there were no mutts. Once everyone besides her were across to the other side, she turned to crawl through. She froze, before quickly turning around, shining her light on the lizard, man-like creatures before they completely engulfed her.

I shot one of my explosive arrows and was thrown back. Ryker grabbed me as he yelled, "Go, go, go! Haley, lead us out of here!" She ran, leading the way as we attempted to navigate the narrow passages.

We turned a corner as lizard mutt jumped out, tackling Logan. "Logan!" Cressida called out. Haley ran towards her, but Jacob held her back. Even more mutts jumped out in front of us, and Cressida and Finnick shot them to clear the way. I shot at the ones behind us, trying to save Logan, her screams heart wrenching.

"Avi, let's go!" Jacob yelled as he grabbed my arm and directed me away as Logan's screams stopped. We continued to run as the monsters chased after us. Haley led us to a circular room with a ladder, and pointed up as we all ran in. Katniss shot an explosive arrow at one of the passages into the room, but more continued to file in. We tried to fight them up as we tried to send people up the ladder as quickly as we could. I glanced to find Danielle as a lizard mutt jumped on me and pinned me to the ground. Unable to reach my arrows, I tried to hold it back, but it was inching closer and closer to my neck. Danielle grabbed and threw it off of me and stabbed it with her knife as another one jumped on her back. I jumped onto its back, trying to break its neck or strangle it, before it threw me off and into a pole as I fell into the water. It went black momentarily, before I swam to the surface, coughing and gasping for air. My vision swam as I climbed out of the water, before being cornered by another mutt. Before it could reach me, Morganne shot is as she grabbed my arm yelling for me to run as she practically pushed me up the ladder. I climbed up to the ledge, looking back down to see Danielle, Aly, and Cressida climbing up. Morganne began to climb up after, leaving Finnick the only one down with the mutts.

"Come on Finnick!" Morganne yelled as she waited at the edge. He continued to fight them off, being bitten by one on his shoulder. I crawled over as Morganne hopped back down to the last few rungs on the ladder, shouting, "Finnick, give me your hand!" as Finnick began to climb. Danielle and Katniss joined me, as Finnick grabbed Morganne's hand just as a mutt grabbed his back. Morganne lost her grip on the ladder and fell back, with Finnick, into the room full of mutts.

"Finnick!" Katniss screamed.

"Morganne!" Danielle and I both screamed simultaneously. You could hear a crunch as Morganne hit her head on the metal platform and Finnick fell into the water and they both were swarmed by mutts. Morganne never cried out, but Finnick screamed as the mutts ripped him apart.

He made eye contact with me and yelled, "Aviana, please!"

I closed my eyes as I flipped the switch on the hollow and whispered, "Nightlock, nightlock, nightlock." I dropped the hollow down the ladder and it exploded.

"Come on, let's go! Keep moving!" Gale yelled, never giving us time to even process the previous events. I tried to gulp air as Danielle grabbed me and stood me up, helping keep me steady as we continued to run. We walked through a doorway, only to be met by gunfire from peacekeepers. We hid behind pillars as we shot back at them. Once gunfire subsided, we began to run through the subway station. Pillars of light began to shine down, one lighting up right in front of Aly, instantly vaporizing her. Cressida turned around in shock.

"Keep going!" Danielle and Katniss yelled as they ran past Cressida, turning her around to keep running. We dodged past pillars and bullets as we continued to run down the station. Suddenly, the floor began to break apart as metal spikes began to spin below it. Finally reaching the end, we jumped, barely missing the spikes as they continued to spin behind us. We jumped up and ran up the unmoving escalators.

"I know where we are!" Cressida shouted once we reached the top. "I know a place, right up those stairs!" We ran, following Cressida as billboards shown our wanted signs everywhere. Cressida ran towards a door and began to pound on it. Someone opened the door, and we all rushed inside, Katniss pulling out her bow and aiming it at a woman, covered in tiger stripe tattoos, whiskers attached to her face. "Katniss, it's ok," Cressida said and Katniss slowly lowered her bow. She walked over to the woman and said, "Tigress, do you remember me? I am with Plutarch's underground. We need your help." Tigress thought for a moment before walking past us and towards a hallway. She stopped, moving a rug to reveal a secret door in the floor.

She opened the door to reveal stairs going down into an underground bunker. Katniss looked up at her and said, "I know you. You were a stylist in the Games."

Tigress took off the hood of her robe, revealing a receded hairline and more tiger stripes. She replied, "Until Snow decided I wasn't pretty enough anymore."

Danielle stepped up and said, "I'm here to kill him."

Tigress smiled. "You deserve to," she commented, "Tressa."

"You know her?" I asked Tigress, pointing at Danielle.

Danielle nodded, "She was a member of the designer team that helped design Tressa."

"I knew from the beginning that she was no Capitol citizen," Tigress commented. "I was waiting for the day she would reveal herself. And once I knew she was alive, I was waiting for the day for her to come back and kill her torturer."

Danielle smiled as we all began to descend into the bunker. Tigress shut the door behind us once we were all inside. Johanna touched my shoulder and frantically asked, "Where's Morganne?"

I turned away before answering, "She tried to pull Finnick up, and when the mutt pulled him down, it pulled her down too." Johanna didn't have words to say as she walked away. I leaned up against a wall and slid down, clutching my knees as I assessed my injuries and finally allowed myself to truly realize the loss we had taken. Jackson, Logan, Morganne, Finnick ripped to shreds by the mutts. Aly, vaporized before she could even turn to see the deadly pillar in front of her. I could hear Haley and Johanna's sobs, Cressida and Jacob comforting them. Katniss, Peeta, and Ryker were all assessing their injuries, and I could feel the cuts and scrapes on my back from the metal platform.

"I made it up, all of it," I said. Everyone looked over at me as I continued, "There is no special mission from Coin, it was only my plan. Everyone who's dead is dead because of me. I lied."

"We know, we all knew" Cressida said as she began to tend to Gale's wounds. "Do you really believe that Jackson thought you had orders from Coin? She trusted Boggs and he clearly wanted you to go on."

"I never meant for this to happen," I continued. "I failed. I killed Jackson, Finnick, Logan, Morganne, and Aly. I am so sorry Johanna and Haley and Cressida."

Danielle looked at me and said, "Do you know what all those deaths mean? Not just from this war, but every single child that has died in the Hunger Games, even my own 'death'. It means that our lives were never ours. There was no real life because we didn't have a choice. Our lives belong to Snow and our deaths do to. But if you kill him, Av," she looked at Katniss before saying, "if we kill him. If we end all of this, all those deaths now mean something. Cinna, Boggs, Jackson, Finnick, Logan, Morganne, and Aly; they chose this. They chose _you_." She wiped my tears away as she hugged me. Katniss and Peeta both came over and wrapped their arms around me to. It wasn't long before Cressida, Johanna, Jacob, Haley and Ryker joined us too, making realize that they supported me through this.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Danielle walked around and began treating everyone's wounds the best she could. As she finished with each of us, we all laid down to get some sleep. At some point, I felt Danielle lay down beside me as we heard bombs go off. I sat up as Gale said, "Those aren't ours. Peacekeepers must be bombing rebels outside the city."

"That's not outside the city," Danielle commented. "It's almost over. We need to get ready."

Everyone began to prepare for the final battle. Many reloaded their guns as Katniss and I put our arrows together. Danielle was sharpening her throwing knives as the screen in the bunker came to life. Snow appeared on the screen as he said, "To all Capitol citizens more than a half mile outside the city circle, I am announcing a mandatory evacuation. Come to the mansion, I am promising you shelter and sanctuary. All refugees come to my home. There you will be provided with food, shelter, medicine, safety for your children, and you will have my solemn oath to protect you until my dying breath."

"Wish he would hurry up with that last part," Cressida commented.

"Our enemy is not like us. They do not share our values. They have never known our comfort and our sophistication and they despise us for it. Make no mistake; they are not coming to liberate us. They are coming to destroy our way of life. They are coming to bury us."

The screen went black as Danielle stated, "He's still in his mansion, I recognize the room."

"We're about five blocks away," Cressida commented as Danielle nodded.

"What about the pods?" I asked.

"They probably have deactivated the pods for the residents' safety," Jacob commented.

"That could work," I said. "We could get close enough."

"Every peacekeeper is going to be waiting," Ryker countered.

"Next to our faces on every billboard," Johanna added.

"Snow's offering shelter to all the refugees," Katniss stated. She looked at Danielle and me before looking at Cressida.

"I guess you guys have some styling to do," Cressida commented. "Let's go talk to Tigress." So we walked upstairs and talked to Tigress. She went and found us clothes to disguise us as Capitol citizens. She made sure our clothes were big enough to hide our weapons as we prepared to go out.

"There's going to be thousands of refugees," Cressida said as she looked between Danielle, Katniss and I. "Just get into that stream and don't look up." I looked up at Tigress who was putting the final touches on Danielle's outfit. "Good luck girls," Cressida said as she hugged each of us.

"Thank you," we each said as Haley walked up to us. She looked up at us and signed, "No words, I'll never forget you." We hugged her as Katniss turned to Tigress and said, "Thank you for everything you've done." Tigress bowed her head in honor.

"Let me come with you guys," Peeta said with a worried tone. "I could help protect you guys."

"No," Katniss said sternly. "I refuse to lose you. And should something happen to Danielle or Aviana, you would need to be there for their sisters." Peeta nodded as I walked over and hugged him tight. I turned to Johanna and Jacob and hugged both of them as well.

"Go kill him, Avi," I heard Ryker say as he hugged me. "If I see you again, it will be a different world." I looked up as Katniss hugged Peeta, pulling away slightly before kissing him. I gave a slight smile as I pulled away and Ryker gave me a light peck on the cheek. I looked at him surprised and he smiled and said, "For good luck."

"You ready, Av?" Danielle asked.

I nodded, pulling the hood over my head and said, "Let's go." I grabbed my bow and hid it under my robe as I opened the door, walking out into the cold, winter air. The three of us walked until we found the sea of people, all walking towards Snow's mansion. We filed in calmly, keeping our heads down.

The speakers bellowed the announcement, "By order of President Snow, all residents must proceed to the Presidential estate. Please continue to move forward in a calm and orderly fashion. Additional food, medicine, and clothing will be provided upon arrival." Peacekeepers were standing all over along the lines of people. I happened to glance up as peacekeepers ahead were removing hoods and checking faces. The three of us calmly turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction. It wasn't long before we saw peacekeepers walking from behind checking faces. I felt a peacekeeper touch my shoulder as a bomb went off. We all fell to the ground as someone yelled, "It's the rebels!" Complete chaos erupted, as the rebels began to move forward. Civilians screamed as more guns and bombs went off.

"Come on," Danielle yelled as she grabbed Katniss and me and we began to run towards the mansion, dodging bullets along the way. We ran in front of a peacekeeper truck and hid, only for it to explode moments after. Katniss and I darted to one side and Danielle to the other. I looked up to see the other side of the flames, where peacekeepers had grabbed Danielle and were dragging her into a truck.

"Danielle!" I screamed.

"Go! Get out of here!" Danielle screamed back at me as another explosion erupted behind me.

"Let's go!" Katniss yelled as she grabbed my hand and drug me towards the mansion. We met a mass of people, as the speakers announced for the residents to bring their children forward first. We weaved between the people as Katniss lead me to a truck and we climbed it, watching in horror as children were drug from their parents and brought towards the gates. We turned as a hovercraft flew over us, and released parachutes over the residents and children. You could hear the gasps of awe as they gently floated down, their familiar dinging the same as the ones released to us in the Hunger Games.

But these weren't gifts. Once they reached the children, they exploded, and Katniss and I were thrown to the ground. We stayed their momentarily, before looking up as parents were holding the bodies of their children. But our eyes caught something different.

"Prim?" I heard Katniss call as we both walked towards the chaos.

"Klarissa?" I called out. Both Klarissa and Prim looked up, each in the rebel medical uniforms as they each stood over a child. But before we could reach them, another bomb erupted, throwing Katniss and I back. I fell to the ground, feeling the heat from the flames on my robe. I saw the smoke rise from be momentarily, before it slowly all faded to black.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I remember waking up, feeling a burning pain across my arms, neck, and face. I heard the faint beeping of a heart monitor, as well as shooting pain in my stomach. I took sharp breaths and clenched my fists, only to realize that there was a hand in mine. I cracked my eyes open as I saw Danielle sitting beside my hospital bed. "Hey," she said softly to me, "relax, I'm right here, everything is going to be ok." She gently stroked my hair, one of the few spots she could touch me without additional pain. "Do you want more pain medicine?" I heard her ask, and I looked at her pleadingly, unable to nod my head without pain. She gave me a small, pained smile, before injecting some into my IV. She sat back down beside me, gently holding my hand and stroking my hair as she said, "I'm not going anywhere. You're ok. I'll see you when you wake up." I felt my eyes droop shut before once again being enveloped in darkness.

I'm not sure how long it was before I woke up again. I felt more alert, but I could still feel the burning pain across my skin. I felt something cold and painful touch my skin, and I jerked my head up to notice Danielle using a cotton ball to apply ointment to my burns. I tried to move my hand away subconsciously because of the pain. "Hold still, Av," Danielle said gently. "The ointment is working."

I looked away, trying my best to keep my hand still as she continued treating me. I started to lay my head back down, before quickly remembering that last time I clearly remember seeing my older sister, she was being drug away by peacekeepers. I slowly turned my head to face her and said, "You're alive."

She looked at me and said, "Yeah, I guess that makes two times that I've managed to survive the Capitol."

"How'd you make it out?" I asked her.

Danielle sighed, "They decided not to kill me at first sight, but wanted to see if Snow wanted to make a spectacle of me first." She paused, biting her lip before saying, "And then, when the bombs hit, they stopped the truck and jumped out. I managed to escape and hopped out of the car to see the damage. I actually was the one that found you and Katniss and got you medical attention."

"Is Katniss ok?" I asked concerned.

"Yeah," Danielle answered. "She has some burns, but nothing she can't recover from." Danielle put the cotton ball back in the ointment, stirring it around to allow the cotton to absorb more ointment.

"What about Prim and Klarissa?" I asked, looking back up at Danielle.

Danielle froze. I saw her bite her lip as she set down the bowl. She took a deep breath as she said, "I found Prim first. I knew she was dead from the second I saw her, I just didn't realize who it was until I got closer." Danielle looked down before straining to say, "I just happened to look up and see 'Riss. I ran over and scooped her up in my arms…a-and I saw all her injuries…a-and I knew it was hopeless, but I-I tried to get her to start breathing a-again." I saw her squeeze the bed frame, before looking at me with her puffy red eyes and whispered, "She's gone, Av."

I felt my blood run cold and my chest tighten. I felt Danielle gently grasp my hand, and I squeezed hers back. I desperately bit my lip as I felt my eyes fill with hot, stinging tears. I felt my bed sink as I felt Danielle's arms around me and gently pull me close and we both began to sob. We cried for the sister that we tried so desperately to protect, but failed to do so at the very end. I cried for Morganne, Finnick, Logan and Aly; our fellow soldiers who were lost to the pods ordered by Snow. I cried for the children who lost their lives so mercilessly to the bombs dropped by their own "faithful" Capitol. I cried for their parents who would never be able to hold their children again. I cried for Cressida who lost two of her team members and friends. I cried for Haley and Johanna who would never see their sisters again. And I cried for Annie who would never see her husband again, the lover who she had only just begun to start a life with.

My eyes widened as pulled away from Danielle and asked franticly, "Where's Bri?"

As if on cue, the door opened, and Haymitch appeared in the door way. "Ana!" I heard a familiar two-year-old voice shout, and I looked down to see little Bri running toward the bed.

"Someone wanted to see you," Haymitch said with a small smile.

Danielle picked Bri up and hugged her. Bri turned to face me, reaching out for me. "Can you hold her?" Danielle asked, glancing at my burns.

"Yeah, I got her," I said as Danielle placed Bri on me. Bri gently gave me a kiss before lying down on my chest and hugging me. I gave her a kiss on her head and said, "You have no idea how happy I am to see you." Bri smiled as she hugged me tighter.

"I suppose you want an update on the final events of the war?" Haymitch asked with a sigh. I nodded as he took a deep breath and said, "The fight was over after the Capitol dropped those bombs to protect the palace. The rebels walked right in. Everybody felt it, peacekeepers, palace guards; they had kids in there too. It was…it was over after that." I looked down processing it all. I felt an overwhelming anger wash over me. _Snow will pay_ , I thought to myself. _For what he did to Danielle, for killing those children, and most of all, for killing Prim and Klarissa._

Once they released Katniss and me from the hospital, they allowed Effie to lead the two of us, along with Danielle and Bri to the mansion. She led us to a huge bedroom and said, "And here we are." She allowed us to survey the room as she commented, "I brought all of your things, girls." I saw Katniss go over to her things as I walked over to the bed and stared out the window. I felt Bri come and pat my leg, but it didn't register in my brain. "I'll let you four to get settled," Effie said. I heard her say bye to Bri, as the doors shut. I felt Bri pat my leg again, and I stood up, picked her up and started to walk out of the room.

"Where are you two going?" Danielle asked with a puzzled look.

I turned to face both her and Katniss and answered, "We're going for a little walk around the mansion if you would like to join us." Danielle and Katniss both nodded as they followed me downstairs. We walked all through the mansion, walking through Snow's office, halls, and dining room. I saw Katniss look out one of the windows as Bri insisted that she get down and climb up in one of the dining room chairs.

"Come on," Katniss said as she walked away from the window.

"Where are we going?" I asked, attempting to pick up Bri before she insisted that she walk.

"Just follow me," Katniss answered. I looked puzzled at Danielle before following Katniss outside into the snow covered courtyard. She began to walk towards a large greenhouse garden, guards on either side of the door.

As we grew closer, one of the guards stepped in front of the door and said, "Sorry ladies, I can't let you pass."

"Let them in," I heard a voice say from behind us. We all turned around to see Paylor standing on the steps behind us. "On my authority," she continued. "They have the right to anything behind that door." The guards opened the doors for us as we walked into a beautiful garden. I looked around at all the roses, noticing that every single flower was white. Bri started to pull me towards the fountain as Katniss walked toward one of the roses. I heard her pluck a rose, as I glance to see her staring at it as I attempted to keep Bri out of the fountain.

"That's a nice one," I heard a menacing voice say. Bri practically jumped into my arms as Snow came around a corner. I glared at him as he said, "I didn't mean to startle you little one." He glanced at the rose in Katniss's hand again and said, "The colors are lovely of course, but nothing says perfection like white." He sat down on a bench a few feet away as we slowly walked over to him, Bri clutching my jacket. "I was hoping you three would find your way here," Snow commented. "We have so many things we should discuss. But I have a feeling your visit will be brief. First things first, I wanted to tell you how very sorry I am about your sisters. So wasteful, so unnecessary, anyone could see that the game was over by that point. In fact, I was just about to issue an official surrender when they released those parachutes."

"You released those parachutes," Danielle stated, venom dripping from her words.

"You really think I gave the order?" Snow asked. "We all know that I'm not above killing children, but I'm not wasteful. I take life for specific reasons, and there was no reason for me to destroy a pen full of Capitol children." Snow began to violently cough, wiping blood away from his mouth as he smiled and continued, "I must concede that it was a masterful move on Coin's part. The idea that I was bombing our own, helpless children to hold back the rebels; it turned the last of mu guards against me. There was no resistance inside the Capitol or the mansion. Did you girls know that it aired live? There's a particular savvy in that, isn't there? I'm sure she wasn't gunning for your sisters, but these things happen in war. My failure was in being so slow to grasp Coin's plan. She let the Capitol and the districts destroy one another and she stepped in to take power of the thirteenth arsenal. But make no mistake; she intends to take my place now. But, I've been watching you three, and you've been watching me. I'm afraid we've both been played for fools."

Katniss shook her head and stated, "I don't believe you."

"Oh my dear Ms. Everdeen," Snow began, "I thought we agreed never to lie to each other?" I looked between Katniss and Danielle, their faces contorting trying to grasp the information they just received. Katniss ran out, followed shortly by Danielle and me, Bri still clutched to my jacket, and we walked back towards our bedroom.

Katniss sat in a chair staring off into space, as I sat on the floor playing with Bri. Danielle sat on the bed, also staring off. There was a knock on the door, and we all turned as the door opened to see Gale walk in. "President Coin has asked for the three of you."

"You never came to see me," Katniss said with a sharp, sad tone.

"I wanted to," Gale simply responded.

"Was it ours?" Katniss asked with a bit more venom in her voice. "The bomb? The delayed explosion? The trap to draw more people in?" My eyes widened as I remembered the conversation Katniss and I overheard between Gale and Beetee. It all started to fall into place as I stared daggers at Gale. "Was that you?" Katniss asked one last time.

"I don't know," Gale answered with a strained voice. "All I know is…I know I was supposed to take care of your family…and I'm sorry I couldn't."

Katniss looked down, thinking. "You can't protect anyone in an arena," she whispered. She looked down for a few more moments before slowly looking up to meet Gale. You could hear a soft sob from the other side of the room as he bowed his head, not making eye contact with Katniss. "Goodbye Gale," Katniss said with a sharp tone. Gale looked back up at her before he turned around and walked out of the room. Katniss looked back at us and said, "I guess we should go see what Coin wants." We nodded as I scooped up Bri and we walked towards the dining room. Guards stood on either side of the door, along with Mrs. Everdeen who offered to hold Bri while we met with Coin. The guards opened the doors for us and the three of us walked in to see several people already in there. Johanna, Annie, Beetee, Peeta, Enobaria from District 2, Haymitch, and Coin were all standing around the table.

"What's this?" Danielle asked confused.

"The remaining victors," Coin stated. "Won't you join us?" The three of us walked over to the table and took a seat across from Coin. Everyone else sat down as well as we turned our focus to Coin. She folded her hands and said, "I have invited you all here for several reasons, but first, I have an announcement. I have taken the burden and the honor of declaring myself interim president of Panem."

Haymitch coughed and said, "Interim? Exactly how long is that interim?"

"We have no way of knowing for certain," Coin answered. "But it's clear that the people are far too emotional right now to make a rational decision. We'll plan an election when the time is right." I glanced at Danielle as Coin continued, "But I have called you all here for a far more important vote; a symbolic vote. This afternoon, we will execute Snow. Hundreds of his accomplices also await their deaths as well as Capitol officials, peacekeepers, torturers, game makers. But the danger is once we begin, the rebels will not stop calling for retribution. A thirst for blood is a difficult urge to satisfy. So, I offer an alternative plan. A majority of five may approve it, no one may abstain. The proposal is this: in lieu of these barbaric executions, we hold a symbolic Hunger Games." It became deathly quiet for a few moments, the tension able to be cut with a knife.

Johanna started laughing before taking a breath and asking, "You want to have another Hunger Games with the Capitol's children?"

"You're joking," Peeta stated.

"Not in the slightest," Coin remarked.

Haymitch sat up and asked, "Is this Plutarch's idea?"

"It was mine," Coin answered. "It balances the need for revenge with the least loss of human life. You may cast your votes."

"No," Peeta immediately said. "No, obviously not, this is crazy."

"No, I think it's more than fair," Johanna countered. "Snow's got a granddaughter. I say yes."

"So do I," Enobaria added. "Let them have a taste of it."

"Guys," Peeta started, "this way of thinking is what started these uprisings."

"I vote no," Annie stated, "with Peeta. So would Finnick, if he would here."

"Well he's not," Johanna countered. "Because Snow killed him and Morganne."

"No," Beetee said. "We need to stop viewing each other as enemies."

"I vote no as well," I stated. "They just had a whole pen of their children bombed, isn't that enough bloodshed? We don't need to kill more innocent children!"

Coin raised a hand and said, "It's down to Katniss, Haymitch, and Danielle."

"I vote yes," Katniss stated, staring Coin down, "for Prim."

Danielle sat up, making eye contact with Coin. "Katniss, Aviana, and I get to kill Snow," she commented.

"I would expect it no less of you three," Coin replied.

"Then I also vote yes," Danielle added, "for Klarissa." I turned to her wide-eyed, but she wouldn't turn my way.

"Haymitch?" Coin asked.

Haymitch looked at Katniss and Danielle before looking back at Coin and saying, "I'm with Katniss and Danielle."

"That carries the vote," Coin stated. "Excellent, we will announce the Games tonight after the execution." Coin dismissed us as we walked back to our bedroom, taking Bri from Mrs. Everdeen on the way. A few minutes later, Effie came in to get the three of us ready for the execution ceremony. She did our makeup and dressed us, brushing off our uniforms before leaving us for a few minutes.

I clenched my fists in fear and nervousness. "You ok?" I heard Danielle ask as she walked over and laid a hand on my shoulder.

I nodded, "Just nervous, I guess." I answered.

Danielle looked at me and said, "Don't be nervous. Just aim your arrow, and don't take your focus off Snow. And then just release it before you have a chance to think." I nodded slowly before Danielle added, "We're ending a tyrant tonight." She gave me a small smile before pulling me into a hug. "You got this, kiddo," she whispered before pulling away.

The door swung open to reveal Katniss, who had just dropped Bri off with Mrs. Everdeen who had, again, volunteered to watch her during the execution. "You ready?" Katniss asked. I looked at Danielle and nodded as we followed Katniss.

We arrived at the Avenue of Tributes to the sound of pounding drums. Katniss, Danielle, and I lined up and began to walk under the archway and down the very same avenue that we rode down in chariots as tributes. The drums continued to beat around us as many of the soldiers walked behind us. We walked closer to the circle, seeing the remaining tributes split, leaving the center for us. We stopped in between the tributes and the drums stopped their beating.

"Welcome" Coin's voice boomed across the avenue, "to a new Panem! Today, on the Avenue of the Tributes, all of Panem, a free Panem, will watch more than a mere spectacle. We are gathered to witness a historic moment of justice. Today, the three greatest friends to the revolution will fire the shots and throw the knife to end all wars. May their shots signify the end of tyranny and the beginning of a new era. Mockingjays, may your aim be as true as your hearts are pure." Danielle clutched her throwing knife as Katniss and I pulled an arrow from our quivers. We all aimed our weapons at Snow. I looked at Snow in the eyes as we stood with our weapons aimed, a weak, arrogant gaze on his face, before slowly turning into one of fear and regret. I closed my eyes, releasing my arrow as I heard Katniss release hers.

I had expected to hear cheers as the arrows and knife hit Snow. Instead I heard gasps. My eyes shot open as I looked at Snow, slumped forward in his restraints with a single arrow in his chest. I glanced up and saw as Coin's body fell from the podium, an arrow and knife in her chest. I turned frantically to Danielle and Katniss in confusion and panic. Katniss was reaching for a pocket in her uniform as the guards grabbed Danielle. "No!" I shouted as I ran after her. I felt arms wrap around me, holding me back, and I quickly realized it was Haymitch. I tried to free myself from his grasp, but it was no use, and I fell limp and began to sob as Haymitch turned me around and hugged me.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

They took me back to the mansion, Bri being brought to me as Mrs. Everdeen was to frantic to watch her. I sat in my bedroom with her, watching her play with her toys as tears slowly trickled down my cheeks. I heard the door open and Peeta walk in. I hopped down off the bed and walked over to him and hugged him, sobbing onto his shoulder. He rubbed my back as I tried to calm down and breathe.

"We're going home," Peeta said with a strained voice.

I pulled away from him confused before asking, "What about Danielle and Katniss?"

Peeta shook his head, "I haven't heard anything, but Haymitch said that he's escorting us home now before a decision is made about them."

"No," I whispered. "I won't go until I know about what's going to happen to them!" The door swung open again to reveal Haymitch, and I looked at him and said, "I'm not going."

"Sweetheart," Haymitch began, "I know you don't want to leave until there's an answer, but an order has been sent out for all the victors to go home today. I'm so sorry."

Bri patted my leg and quietly asked, "Home?"

I scooped her up and said, "Yeah baby, I guess we're going home." I hugged her as I slowly walked over to Haymitch, my heart aching as I left my older sister behind. Peeta stayed with me the whole way, helping me with Bri when I couldn't handle the emotions and thoughts running through my head. Haymitch kept in touch the whole way, as he was asked to stay in the Capitol for a little while longer. He told us about the free election that would be held, and how it was almost certain that Paylor would win. But I didn't care about that in that moment. I wanted to hear news of Danielle and Katniss.

We arrived at District 12 three days after the execution ceremony. Peeta walked with me and Bri to my house in the Victor's Village, amazingly untouched by the fire bombs a year earlier. I walked inside my house and was immediately overwhelmed by emotions. Last time I stood in that house, Ms. Robin was cleaning the kitchen, and Klarissa was in the living room playing with Bri. Though it was intact, the house felt as desolate and lifeless as the district outside. Bri walked to the living room and began to play with the toys that were still on the floor from the last time she played with them. I walked to the couch and laid down, letting the numbness wash over me as Bri played.

It had been almost a week before we heard word from Haymitch that he was coming home. Bri had been spending a lot of time with Peeta as my depressive state barely allowed for me to take care of myself. I had barely eaten since we had gotten home, and I was almost ready to wither away to nothing and die. _Bri would be better off with Peeta_ , I thought. There were days I would contemplate seeing if Annie would take Bri permanently, since they had bonded in Thirteen and Bri asked for her all the time. I would think better when Bri would say, "I want you, Ana," almost every day. But it didn't make things any easier, and the lack of closer for Danielle and Katniss didn't allow me to mourn; only contemplate what happened and what could happen.

A few days later I decided to walk down to the meadow. Bri was staying with Peeta, and maybe I could somehow understand my thoughts in the fresh air by the stream. The foreboding clouds above threatened to bring snowfall to the frigid remains of District 12. I looked down at the ground as I walked down the stairs of my house and began to walk toward the gate of the Victors Village. I stopped, confirming my suspicions that I was hearing another set of footsteps in front of me. I looked up and saw three figures. I stood still, unable to make out who the figures were from such a distance.

"Hey!" I heard Haymitch's voice yell, and I relaxed slightly. "I have a couple of people who would like to see you." Confused, I began to walk forward, trying to figure out who was with Haymitch. _This is what happens when you forget your glasses_ , I thought to myself.

But as I got closer, I could finally make out the other two figures. I felt a huge grin spread across my lips as I ran towards them. "Danielle! Katniss!" I yelled as I practically leaped into their arms as they hugged me. "I thought you guys would have been executed." I hugged them tighter as if I would lose them again if I let them go.

"Paylor pardoned us," Katniss stated.

"We get to come home," Danielle added. "It's finally over." I squeezed them again as I heard a door open and Peeta stand in front of the door way to his house

"Inelle! Inelle!" Bri screamed as she squeezed past Peeta, running down the stairs and toward Danielle, who scooped her up and hugged her tight.

"Peeta," Katniss whispered as she ran toward him and hugged him tight. She pulled away and kissed him. Haymitch gathered us all together in a group hug as we relished in this family reunion and celebrated that the war was over. Now we could finally rest and heal. We had changed our nation and saved the future for the children of this generation and the generations to come. We had been victorious.


	17. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

It is a beautiful summer day in District 12, fifteen years since the rebellion. I sit in the grass in the meadow, feeling the wind blow through my hair. I look out watching the children play in the meadow. Bri, now eighteen years old, has lived her childhood not having to fear that she would be reaped for some barbaric games. There are the six year old twins, Mason and Avary, my niece and nephew, born to Danielle only a couple of years after marrying Ajax; a man she had met in the Capitol who just so happened to be Cinna's nephew. His legacy, able to live on in two happy six year olds, obvious to the world that their mother, father, and great uncle lived through.

Then there's five year old Willow and her two year old brother, Rye. It took Peeta ten years to convince Katniss to have kids, and though she often doesn't want to admit it, becoming a mother was the best decision she made. She shows it, by the smile I see on her face as she watches them play with Peeta and the other children.

One year old Rowan tries his stubby legs out trying to walk to the other kids, his father holding his hands to balance him. Jacob surprised me when he decided to ask Johanna to be his wife, and I was even more surprised when the two decided to have a child. Though they may be unlikely parents, it puts a smile on my face to watch them become parents, and great parents at that.

And then there's eight year old Chloe, chasing her father through the meadow. I remember it being a bit of a surprise for Ryker and I when I found out I was pregnant with her. But surprise or no surprise, we determined to be the best parents we could be to her.

I feel Aliyah stir in my arms as she begins to wake up and cry. "Shh," I whisper as I gently rock her.

"Did my little niece have a nightmare?" Danielle asks as she leans over and looks at my three month old daughter. "We all have nightmares too, little one. You're not alone."

"One day we will tell you why they came and why they won't ever go away," I add. Aliyah looks up at us as I gently kiss her forehead.

"But most importantly," Danielle continues, "we will tell you how we survived it."

"I go back and think about all the good memories from life, and focus on the God who gives me strength, over and over again," I comment.

"It's like a game," Danielle says as Aliyah grasps her aunt's finger and slowly begins to drift a sleep. "It gets a little tedious after all these years."

"But there are far worse games to play," I finish. I look up at the children playing in the meadow, and I look to my side as Katniss walks over to us. She sits down and puts a head on my shoulder as I rest my head atop hers. It wasn't easy to get this far, and there are so many people I continue to miss. But to get the result we did, and the lives we now live as wives and parents, I would do it all over again.


End file.
